In arguing for his country’s case in 2015, the Philippines’ then foreign secretary, Albert del Rosario, said that Manila had turned to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and its arbitral tribunal because it believed in “the equalizing power of international law … which allows the weak to challenge the powerful on an equal footing, confident in the conviction that principles trump power that law triumphs over force and that right prevails over might.” To challenge such a realpolitik approach, the Philippines launched an arbitration case against China. What is evident – and worrying for other smaller claimant states – is that as it has grown stronger, China has become more willing to resort to what then US president Barack Obama described in 2016 as “the old style of might makes right, as opposed to working through international law and international norms to establish claims, and to resolve disputes.” What is evident – and worrying for other smaller claimant states – is that as it has grown stronger, China has become more willing to resort to what then US president Barack Obama described in 2016 as ‘the old style of might makes right’ It’s no longer a secret that over the past six years China has massively expanded in and militarized the 3.5-million-square-kilometer sea. History has borne this out and will continue to do so.”īut, alas, what the Communist-ruled country has done in the South China Sea, especially since Xi came to power in 2012, tells a completely different story. In an apparent effort to assure those who are wary of his country’s rapid rise and long-term ambitions, he stressed: “No matter how strong its economy grows, China will never seek hegemony, expansion or sphere of influence. Hence it demands careful study.” Xi explained: “What it means is that every effort should be made to prevent a war and great caution must be exercised when it comes to fighting a war.” It is a matter of life and death, a road to either survival or ruin. He noted that The Art of War, “a Chinese classic, begins with this observation: The art of war is of vital importance to the state. He then declared: “China remains unchanged in its commitment to uphold world peace,” stating that “amity with neighbors … and peace are values cherished in the Chinese culture.” “The essence of sovereign equality is that the sovereignty and dignity of all countries, whether big or small, strong or weak, rich or poor, must be respected,” the authoritarian leader further lectured.
With regard to sovereign equality, he orated, it “is the most important norm governing state-to-state relations over the past centuries and the cardinal principle observed by the and all other international organizations.”
It has a small land area and an even smaller population.He recalled the Peace of Westphalia’s principles of equality and sovereignty, the UN Charter’s four purposes and seven principles, the Bandung Conference’s five principles of peaceful coexistence and many widely accepted principles in international relations and expounded: “These principles should guide us in building a community of shared future for mankind.” Random discussion threads are posted every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday and usually left stickied for 2 days.īrunei is a country located at the heart of Southeast Asia, nestled in the large island of Borneo. Please observe reddiquette as well as the rules of this subreddit, and outside of the random threads, keep discussions relevant to the country. Discussions and questions are also allowed. Posting interesting news, articles and any other information is encouraged here. If you're new to Reddit, we highly encourage you to read Reddit 101, written up by Reddit users. This is an open forum for news, discussions, information and opinions about happenings inside and related to the country.
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