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Daily News on the Southeast Asian Region
20 July 2020
(pm) - 21 July
2020 (am)
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Greetings
This issue of Daily News Alert includes the following commentaries and citations attributed to researchers at ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute. You can click on their names to go to these articles directly.
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Country Studies
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Southeast Asia Countries
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Brunei Darussalam
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Cambodia
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Laos
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Singapore
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Timor-Leste (East Timor)
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Region
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 Indonesia
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Gibran, exception to PDI-P's own rules: Despite this seeming aberration, PDI-P secretary general Hasto Kristiyanto said that the nomination of Gibran, along with the 270 other candidates that the party endorsed in this year's regional elections, should be seen as a sign of the success of its political recruitment process, one of the key functions of a political party in a democracy... Political analysts challenged Hasto's claim, saying that by promoting privileged individuals like Gibran, the party had in fact shown itself to be a failure in terms of party institutionalization, which in turn resulted in the neglect of democratic values such as a merit-based recruitment system.
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Govt sets up new joint COVID-19 response team: The National Economic Recovery and COVID-19 Response Team will be led by Coordinating Economic Minister Airlangga Hartato as chairperson and State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) Minister Erick Thohir as executive chairperson. "We do not want the public to misinterpret the 'new normal' term by returning to their activities freely without complying with [public health] protocols. At the end of the day, the economy will suffer," Erick told a virtual press briefing.
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Jokowi officially disbands 18 state bodies as govt shifts focus to pandemic mitigation: The move, stipulated in Article 19 of Presidential Regulation (Perpres) No. 82/2020 issued on Monday, is in line with Jokowi's commitment to dissolve a number of institutions in a bid to simplify bureaucracy and alleviate budget constraints amid the ongoing health emergency. According to the latest regulation, the state bodies that are subject to the disbandment include those that were established within the last 10 years...
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South-east Asian terror group chief gets 7 years' jail: The leader of South-east Asian terror group Jemaah Islamiah (JI) was sentenced to seven years' jail yesterday by an Indonesian court for inciting others to commit an act of terrorism. Para Wijayanto, 56, was named as the emir of JI in 2009. Prosecutors said he was instrumental in recruiting, training and raising funds for Indonesian militants who went to Syria between 2012 and 2018 to fight alongside those opposed to the regime of President Bashar al-Assad. Wijayanto and his wife were arrested on the outskirts of Jakarta in July last year.
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The Main Tasks of Jokowi's Economic Recovery Task Force: President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo on Monday passed the presidential regulation (perpres) No.82/2020 effectively establishing the 'Covid-19 Handling Committee and National Economic Recovery.' One of the aspects contained within the committee is the task force on national economic recovery and transformation, which is led by State-owned Enterprises SOEs Deputy Minister Budi Gunawan Sadikin.
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New committee comprises policy team, COVID-19, economic task forces: The COVID-19 Handling and National Economic Recovery Committee, formed by President Joko Widodo through Presidential Regulation Number 82 of 2020, comprises three arms. According to a copy of the regulation received in Jakarta on Monday evening, the new committee consists of the Policy Committee, the COVID-19 Handling Task Force, and the National Economic Recovery and Transformation Task Force.
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Govt seeks to renegotiate trade, investment deal with Japan: The government is seeking to expand access to the Japanese market, reduce tariffs and liberalize the movement of workers in tourism through Indonesia-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (IJEPA) renegotiations. According to the Trade Ministry's bilateral negotiations director Ni Made Ayu Marthini, the government is focusing on expanding its market access and reviewing Japan's Tariff Rate Quotas (TRQ) for Indonesia's agricultural products.
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Jobs bill could hurt labor, harm environment: World Bank: World Bank Indonesia and Timor Leste country director Satu Kahkonen said the bill was very much needed so Indonesia could attract foreign investors. However, she expressed concerns about the environmental and labor aspects of the bill. "It's going to move Indonesia's environmental legislation further away from the implementation of best practices," Kahkonen said during a virtual launch of the Indonesia Economic Prospect report on Thursday.
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New regulation to have intelligence agency work directly under President Jokowi: BIN deputy VII overseeing communications and information, Wawan Hari Purwanto, said the new regulation aimed to increase efficiency and to better secure information. "The purpose is to accelerate information distribution to the President so he can quickly adopt accurate, effective and efficient policies. [The new regulation] would also increase information secrecy," Wawan said ...
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Online learning may worsen RI's educational inequality: A survey launched on Thursday by the SMERU Research Institute showed that while teachers in major cities in Java had proper facilities to teach their students online, teachers in villages, especially outside Java, have needed to visit their students' homes to give and collect homework because of a lack of access to the internet and digital devices.
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OPINION: Sexual violence bill withdrawal risks sacrificing nation's safety: Accumulation of cases of sexual crimes in various regions and, consequently, public concerns and pressures triggered the formulation of the PKS bill. Public criticism mounted against slow response to sex violence cases. On the other hand, the persistent demand for immediate legislation of the bill shows public awareness of individual safety and protection from the threat of sexual crimes.
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The Greening of Indonesia-Gulf Relations: While deeply rooted in oil and gas, energy relations between the Gulf and Indonesia are increasingly moving toward renewables like solar.
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As the virus ravages Indonesia's economy, will the new capital be shelved?, word emerged in late-June that the government was planning to break ground as early as next year. Basuki Hadimuljono, minister for public works and housing, spoke optimistically about the project resuming in 2021... But hope doesn't equate to realisation in the context of a construction plan, and Made Supriatma, a visiting fellow on the Indonesia studies programme at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, takes a more cautious view. "Until now, the development of the new capital has only reached the planning stage and the government has not even issued a blueprint for resettlement planning," he told the Globe. "Several plans are being proposed, but until now there has been no decision."
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Malaysia
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Cultural 'shift' needed to stop party-hopping: Again, there has been much discussion of late about party-hopping in Sabah. In fact, Sabah has regularly been the focus of such discussions due to the penchant of its assemblymen to hop from one party to another. This is understandable given that its electorate has changed the government at least five times. Primarily, debates on the subject tend to revolve around the need for anti-hopping legislation. While this may provide some deterrence, it is by no means a "be-all and end-all" solution.
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Umno has grown in Sabah after losing power, says analyst: While politicians argue about the relative popularity of Umno and its spinoff PPBM in Sabah, a political scientist points out that Umno has had a long affiliation with the state, but PPBM was considered to be only a political infant. Awang Azman Pawi of Universiti Malaya said Umno had been in Sabah since 1991 whereas PPBM has only been in the state for over a year.
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Shafie as PM candidate mooted by Guan Eng, says Dr M: The proposal to nominate Shafie, who is the Warisan president, as Harapan's candidate for PM came about last month after PKR remained firm in rejecting Mahathir as the candidate. The party had insisted that Anwar should be the PM candidate for Harapan instead. Mahathir had announced on June 27 that Harapan component parties DAP and Amanah were in support of Shafie as the PM candidate. However, DAP and Amanah later came up with a joint statement that they would leave the matter to be decided at the coalition level.
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Analysts warn Dr Mahathir against forming new party: DR MAHATHIR Mohamad should not form a new party to challenge Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin for control of Putrajaya but should look at using civil society groups as an option to gain more support, said analysts. They told The Malaysian Insight that another option for the former prime minister is to join a Pakatan Harapan party like DAP or seek to be a direct member of the coalition.
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Plantation industry plagued with issues, says palm oil association chief: The Malaysian Palm Oil Association (MPOA) says the plantation industry is now at a crossroads due to various issues plaguing the industry, with the freeze on the intake of foreign workers among major concerns. MPOA CEO Mohd Nageeb Abdul Wahab said the sector was already facing a shortage of some 36,000 workers before the Covid-19 pandemic hit, adding that this had affected its potential production by about 10%. While the sector managed to retain workers during the movement control order (MCO) period, he said more workers could leave post-lockdown.
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Editorial: For the love of tanah airku: The proposed programme, said Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Special Functions) Mohd Redzuan Yusof recently, is also created to forge a united nation through the federal constitution and the Rukun Negara, which is a good principle. It raises a few questions, though, as to why this so-called patriotism programme is being resurrected at this juncture, especially such a programme would likely incur a large amount of taxpayers' money in an economy that is struggling amid a pandemic.
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Public universities brace for funding cuts in Covid era: The coronavirus outbreak has exposed the structural flaws of the country's higher education sector but despite the pain inflicted on many, it could be an opportunity to fix those problems, said Prof Dr Omar Shawkataly, formerly of Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM). The main problem in the sector - and a reason why it produces substandard graduates - is that there are too many schools for a shrinking university-going population, said Omar.
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The final leg of a difficult journey: Judging from the academic and educational point of view, it is not difficult to recognize UEC as the certificate is widely accepted by universities overseas. UEC faces the paradox not being recognized by the government as it is no longer an academic matter but a political one. All parties should gauge the academic level of UEC based on its syllabus offered in school instead of prejudging the examination.
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Myanmar
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Myanmar Needs to Answer to UN Rights Body: Myanmar Needs to Answer to UN Rights Body: Myanmar has failed to undertake meaningful reforms to bring its many rights-violating laws into compliance with international human rights standards, Human Rights Watch said today in a submission to the United Nations Human Rights Council for Myanmar's Universal Periodic Review (UPR) in January 2021.
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Myanmar govt proposes borrowing from ADB for key infrastructure: U Kyaw Linn, Deputy Minister of Construction, proposed on July 17 during the sitting of the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw (Assembly of the Union) that Myanmar take a loan of US$483.8 million from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to build the Bago-Kyaikhto highway. "This project will connect the country via the Bago-Thanlyin road, Yangon outer ring road, Hanthawaddy International Airport and Yangon-Mandalay highway," U Kyaw Linn said.
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Philippines
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China to give PH priority on COVID vaccine: Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian made this assurance as he seeks to expand cooperation between the two governments in the areas of health, smooth flow of goods and people, economic and social recoveries, and sustainable growth. "When the COVID-19 vaccine is developed and put into use, China will give priority to providing it to the Philippines, as a global public good," Huang said. Huang said China and the Philippines, along with other Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) partner countries, have accelerated their cooperation in the field of public health, and are committed to building a "Health Silk Road" and a community of common health for mankind.
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Duterte: Gov't ready to borrow money, sell properties to purchase anti-COVID vaccine: "Para sa mga plano natin, put it something like hanggang towards the end of the year. But if there is a thing that develops which is really good for you, mauna ako - mag-utang ako. Magpabili ako kung saan magpabili ng lupa para ipagbili ko ng - ibili ko ng medisina (For our plans, put it something like towards the end of the year. But if there is a thing that develops which is really good, I'll be the first. I will borrow money. I will sell properties to buy medicines)," he added.
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Editorial: 'Year of Filipino Health Workers': Finally, after 18 long years, a pay increase for nurses in public hospitals and health institutions. The long-awaited piece of good news came over the weekend when Budget Secretary Wendel Avisado issued Budget Circular No. 2020-4, which raised the minimum monthly base pay of government nurses from Salary Grade (SG) 11 to SG 15. Effective immediately, the entry-level pay would be from P32,053 to P34,801 depending on the salary step, up from the previous range of P22,316 to P24,391 a month. The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said 6,627 government nurses currently in Nurse 1 positions would benefit from the salary upgrade.
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Media repression and authoritarianism a new normal in the Philippines: On 3 July, the government signed the controversial Anti-Terrorism Act into law. Globally, various groups call such developments 'dark days' for press freedom. Locally, they're called Monday and Tuesday. Welcome to the new normal in the Philippines, where late night presidential addresses hint at declines in the President's health amid his incoherent ramblings. As the country deals with an increasing number of confirmed COVID-19 cases, the government focuses on unrelated matters. These include enacting the Anti-Terrorism Act, banning locally-manufactured jeepneys, prohibiting protest actions while tolerating mass gatherings organised by government officials and supporters and suspending the termination of the US-Philippines Visiting Forces Agreement.
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Thailand
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Appoint Suriya, PM urged: Mr Suriya is a co-founder of the party's Sam Mitr faction, which insists that the energy post be returned from Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha's quota to the party's quota and that Mr Suriya be given the job. The move follows Gen Prayut claim that it was his right to determine who should fill the position, as well as three other cabinet portfolios left vacant by the resignations of Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak, Finance Minister Uttama Savanayana, Energy Minister Sontirat Sontijirawong and Higher Education, Science and Innovations Minister Suvit Maesincee.
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Labour minister confirms resignation: Labour Minister MR Chatumongol Sonakul confirmed with Nation TV reporters via telephone on Monday evening (July 20) that he has resigned after his team earlier submitted a resignation letter to Government House. Chatumongol did not reveal the reason for quitting but said he did not resign to facilitate a Cabinet reshuffle.
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Recovering Thailand doesn't need IMF bailout: Veerathai: "The central bank's biggest concern is employment, because the Covid-19 pandemic has adversely affected the labour market in both the services and manufacturing sectors, where large numbers of workers were laid off," he said. Even if the pandemic situation improves, many workers may not be able return to work, he warned.
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Thai protesters take aim at army after anti-government rallies: Protesters rallied at the headquarters of Thailand's army on Monday (July 20), accusing it of wasting taxpayers' money on procurements and renewing demands for Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha's resignation, the latest show of public opposition to his rule. About 200 demonstrators denounced the government and the army, accusing it of inappropriate defence spending and of interfering in politics by backing Mr Prayuth's bloodless 2014 putsch, which saw him installed as prime minister.
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Optimism in Thailand's Deep South Belies Spike in Violence, Covid Crisis: Despite an intensive outbreak of Covid-19 infection clusters within Thailand's deep south, and a sudden spike in violent attacks by separatists, the region continues to display strong economic vibrancy. Major outbreaks of Covid-19 occurred in Yala and Patani, sparked by returnees from meetings of the Islamic missionary movement Tablighi in Malaysia and Indonesia. This led to compulsory testing in some districts, leading to criticism by community groups and the separatist group Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN). Restrictions including the banning of community prayers at mosques appeared to severely stifle social and economic activity.
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Vietnam
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Local budget and production lose out due to tobacco smuggling: Viet Nam's State budget has lost VND8.5 trillion each year due to tobacco smuggling, experts revealed at a seminar in Ha Noi. Nguyen Manh Hung, chairman of Viet Nam Consumer Protection Association, told a seminar on tobacco smuggling late last week that as Viet Nam has a huge number of smokers, smuggling is rife. According to a global survey, the proportion of tobacco use among adults in Viet Nam was over 45 per cent, while the number of tobacco users was constantly increasing among young people in the country.
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Vietnam's lack of transparency on environmental issues is glaring: If the environment has already been polluted, it would take an enormous amount of both monetary and human resources to deal with the dreadful consequences. Therefore, it is universally accepted wisdom that prevention is the most cost-effective method of controlling environmental pollution.
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More Sons Wanted In Vietnam? The skewed sex ratio at birth (SRB) in the ASEAN member state was first observed in 2004, and since then, the imbalance towards more boys has increased tremendously. In 2019, it was reported that the SRB in Vietnam reached 111.5 boys per 100 girls, as opposed to the biologically normal SRB recommended by the WHO... It was reported that in Vietnam, 40,800 female births are estimated to be missing every year, as shown in the unbalanced SRB.
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Vietnam's China-built metro line falls 2 years behind schedule: Delays have plagued most of Vietnam's nearly 20 plans for urban railway construction in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. With traffic in the two cities worsening by the year, the government fears a drag on economic development. Vietnam is the most anti-China country in Southeast Asia, owing to the South China Sea dispute. Amid strong public interest in the rail line, eyes are on how the two countries will find common ground regarding the project.
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Vietnam encouraged to make the most of FTAs: With a total of 16 FTAs under implementation and negotiations, Vietnam has become the focal point of the vast free trade area network that accounts for 59% of the world's population and 68% of global trade, helping increase the country's interests with most of the leading partners regionally and globally. In the new phase, the primary focus should be on the effective implementation and utilization of opportunities from free trade agreements, especially the CPTPP, EVFTA, and ASEAN agreements with partners, Minh said.
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Vietnam makes a substantial contribution to ASEAN: This year marks a significant year as the country takes on the rotating role of the group's chairman and marks 25 years since becoming a member. The past quarter of a century has seen Vietnam put forward and achieve many initiatives, including the ASEAN Defence Minister's Meeting Plus and the establishment of the ASEAN Commission on Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Women and Children. Back in 2010 when the country chaired ASEAN, it generated a regional consensus by calling on Russia and the United States to participate in the East Asia Summit.
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ASEAN/Southeast Asia
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JB-Singapore RTS Link project signing ceremony to be held on Jul 30, says Malaysian transport minister: In a parliamentary oral reply on Tuesday (Jul 21), Dr Wee said that the prime ministers for both countries will witness the ceremony, which will be held at the Johor-Singapore Causeway. He said that both countries have completed negotiations for the Johor Bahru-Singapore RTS Link project and are prepared to sign three agreements during the ceremony - a bilateral agreement, a concession agreement and an agreement to form a joint venture company to operate the rail line.
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ASEAN must cement its central role and drive dialogue: diplomat: ASEAN needs to continue to demonstrate its central role and be the driving force of dialogues and confidence-building to ensure peace and security, against the backdrop of volatile regional and international concerns. Vietnamese Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Quoc Dung made the statement at Monday's inter-sectoral meeting between senior officials to brainstorm the ASEAN Community Vision Post-2025.
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OPINION: ASEAN cooperation to address transboundary haze amid pandemic: With the current global health crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is crucial for ASEAN to step up preparations and be in a better position to handle the potential risk of fire and transboundary haze. This will be necessary to mitigate the possible double burden on healthcare systems in ASEAN in managing COVID-19 and also health issues brought about by the haze.
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Asia Pacific
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Hidden gems in the 2020 Force Structure Plan: Yet practically this means placing (advanced sea mines) within Indonesian waters to close avenues such as the Straits of Sunda and Lombok, as mines would have little use against an adversary approaching from the broad open waters off Australia's East Coast. Jakarta's response to any such actions will be intriguing. While in a situation of open war between Beijing and Canberra, the ADF will take all necessary actions to protect the nation, what will we do in the so-called "grey zone", short of conflict? If a Chinese fleet in a time of tension is sailing towards us for "exercises" (as it is entirely entitled to do), do we prophylactically mine the Straits? Ask permission from Indonesia?
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Rupture -- conceptualising nature-society transformation: Sango Mahanty explains some key insights from the "Rupture" project, on how mega infrastructure projects such as hydropower are dramatically transforming nature and society in our region. The talk develops four analytical themes that have broader relevance in understanding nature-society transformation: interactivity between transformative processes; cross-scale interactions; temporality, and agency. It illustrates these with examples from the field, and explains how a rupture lens builds upon existing perspectives on nature-society transformation.
[1.5 hour webinar video]
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East/South China Sea
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US move pits China vs Vietnam in South China Sea: A eek later, it's still not clear how Vietnam views Washington's rhetorical shift. The Foreign Affairs Ministry put out a statement on July 15, which didn't mention Washington's new position but did note that "Vietnam welcomes countries' positions on the East Sea issues, which are consistent with international law." [...] Le Hong Hiep, a fellow at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore, wrote last year that Hanoi is now stuck in a position where "diplomacy is [the] first and last option." Where negotiation fails, however, a conflict could spark. The last time China and Vietnam fought, a series of border clashes during the 1980s started by Beijing's retaliation against Hanoi's move to overthrow China's puppet Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia. Then, war-hardened Vietnam was able to repel China's military advances. Now, however, China's armed forces are incomparably larger, better-trained and better-equipped than Vietnam's.
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New U.S. harder line doesn't demand a military solution in the South China Sea: It is another front in the campaign that the Trump administration is waging against China, a reminder to Beijing that the U.S. is not distracted by the COVID-19 pandemic and is not to be counted out of regional security affairs. Words alone will not move Beijing, however. The U.S. must back tough talk with action. Rhetorical support for international law is mere posturing if Washington won't actively assist the countries that China is bulldozing. That raises the real risk of a clash, accidental or intended, in a vital waterway.
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China Embassy praises Malaysia's handling of South China Sea dispute: The China Embassy in Kuala Lumpur has praised Malaysia for the way it handled the disputes between the two countries, including their overlapping claims on the South China Sea. In a statement, a spokesperson for the embassy said China will continue to address their differences through negotiations so as to maintain the peace and stability in the maritime region.
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47
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Disturbing Changes in South China Sea: The USS Nimitz and USS Ronald Reagan strike groups are conducting military drills in the South China Sea, the first time in the past few years. The Pentagon said the exercise was "a symbol of resolve." Forecasting the future of the South China Sea earlier this year, I predicted that 2020 would be a turning point in the South China Sea, from stability to turbulence. What has happened in recent months indicates that this judgment was not built on sand. A review of a series of events in the sea and other areas since May reveals some disturbing changes.
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'We are a battleground now': In Southeast Asia, U.S.-China tensions flare on social media: The war of words marks a strident new tack for U.S diplomacy in the region, analysts said. The U.S. statements aimed to tie the South China Sea to local concerns "to depict Beijing as an unequivocal threat to the sovereignty of the Southeast Asian nations", said Sebastian Strangio, author of an upcoming book on China's regional influence.
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49
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South China Sea: beware of US 'sabotage', Beijing warns Southeast Asia: Diplomatic spats in the Philippines and Myanmar show the two superpowers are jostling for influence in the region as ties deteriorate, experts say. US diplomats raise eyebrows with use of the term 'West Philippines Sea' and for warning Myanmar of Chinese 'exploitation'.
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50
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Did China Block Vietnam Offshore Oil Contract? The sudden cancellation of an offshore drilling project commissioned by Vietnam is raising fears that the Chinese government pressured it to stop, part of Beijing's ongoing maritime sovereignty spat with Hanoi. London-based drilling contractor Noble Corp. said July 9 its Noble Clyde Boudreaux semi-submersible had cancelled a previously announced project with Vietnam. News reports placed the drilling site off Vietnam's east coast in a zone watched by Chinese survey vessels.
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51
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Opportunism and miscalculation by claimants in the South China Sea: Amid the deepening Sino-US rivalry, it is easy to regard these incidents as evidence of China's "opportunism." Nevertheless, a more granular examination of these maritime incidents and domestic developments of claimant states reveals a much more complicated picture.
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52
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In the South China Sea, Washington Tries to Balance Support and Entanglement: Washington continues to walk a delicate balance between supporting its allies and partners in the region and avoiding entanglement in regional territorial conflicts. So long as U.S. policy remains largely reactive to China, rather than proactive in defining and shaping the region toward a particular goal, its behavior will remain difficult for partners and allies to anticipate. Now that the State Department has issued a new position statement, China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nation states will be watching closely to see just how far the words translate into action.
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Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) / Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP)
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53
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RCEP the key to East Asia's recovery: The Asean-led Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) will almost certainly be signed at the 37th Asean Summit in November. Fears of further delays -- due to ripple effects from the intensified US-China rivalry, which has reached unprecedented levels -- as well as concerns about India's absence have now been overcome. Once signed, the RCEP will be the world's biggest free-trade arrangement which will serve as an engine for economic recovery in the post-Covid-19 world.
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Superpower relations and the region
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54
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How Hot Could US-China 'Cold War' Get? Stephen Walt, a professor of international affairs at Harvard University, said the world's two largest economic powers were engaged in a long-term competition over "incompatible strategic visions," including China's desire to dominate Asia... "It resembles the US-Soviet 'Cold War' in certain respects, but it is not yet as dangerous as that earlier rivalry," Walt said. "One key difference is that the two states are still closely connected economically, although that relationship is now under considerable strain."
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55
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China as the godfather of Quad 2.0: Australia, Japan and the US were drawn to the 'Indo-Pacific' conceptual frame as a convenient analytical tool to incorporate India into their strategic calculus. It integrates geography, the 'free and open' principle and democratic values into one strategic construct. However, the level and quality of economic interaction of the four Quad partners with China vary enormously, as do their territorial disputes and their fears of entanglement in others' quarrels. There can be no expectation of automatic military assistance in any armed conflict with China arising from the territorial disputes between Japan and China and between India and China.
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Opinion: US' tougher stance on the South China Sea is part of Trump's re-election campaign: Trump's team is using China as one of its lines of attack against the president's opponent Joe Biden while capitalising on the growing realisation in the Asia-Pacific region that China's expansionist plans must be countered
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'Between a Rock and a Hard Place': Experts Say the Widening US-China Divide Isn't Business as Usual: But the South China Sea developments are only one aspect of the ever-increasing tensions. "You cannot simply look at the South China Sea incident in isolation," said William Choong, a senior fellow at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, noting that the United States was executing a "full-court press" on China. Choong noted that in the U.S., the sentiment toward China has "turned sour" across party lines, making China a politically convenient punching bag for both Democrats and Republicans alike.
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