By Shannon Tiezzi
China continues to hope its economic offerings can mend its relationships in Southeast Asia.
Chinese President Xi Jinping wrapped up his brief tour of Southeast Asia on Saturday, after spending two days each in Vietnam and Singapore. Xi’s stop in Singapore was largely overshadowed by the historic meeting between Xi and Taiwan’s President Ma Ying-jeou at the Shangri-La Hotel on Saturday. But Xi’s trip to Singapore wasn’t all about cross-strait relations; rather, it was part of Xi’s attempt to mend China’s image in the Southeast Asian states – many of which have concerns over China’s actions in the South China Sea.
While Singapore is not a claimant in the South China Sea disputes, the city-state has a vested interest in making sure the maritime tensions don’t spill over to poison diplomatic relations among the Southeast Asian states and China. Along with Indonesia, Singapore has tried to play the role of neutral mediator, but often found its efforts blocked by China’s insistence that the disputes can only be handled bilaterally. Singapore has continued to raise its concerns about the disputes, with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong warning in his remarks at this year’s Shangri-La Dialogue that a new approach is needed. “If the present dynamic continues, it must lead to more tensions and bad outcomes,” Lee said.
China, meanwhile, saw Xi’s visits to Vietnam and Singapore as a chance to remind the region of the fruits of cooperation with China – to display the carrot, rather than the stick. Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin told reporters at a pre-trip briefing that Xi’s visits to Vietnam and Singapore would “be a big boost to China-ASEAN ties,” according toXinhua. Liu pointed out that Singapore is currently the coordinator for China-ASEAN relations, and said the China-Singapore relationship can serve as a model form China-ASEAN ties.
Read the full story at The Diplomat