J

uly 18, p. 7

Demonstrations in Hanoi against China ended when the Vietnamese government finally acted on July 10 to round up protesters.

The rare public protests, held on weekends for over a month in front of the Chinese Embassy, employed nationalistic slogans and symbols. Thought to have been officially tolerated, or even encouraged, they started soon after China’s navy had turned back a Vietnamese oil-drilling research boat in a disputed area of the South China Sea.

This sets a potentially tense context to the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), soon to be held in Bali, Indonesia. ASEAN Secretary-General Surin Pitsuwan hopes the meeting can bring the ASEAN foreign ministers and all major regional powers, including China and the US, to hold a constructive dialogue on the issue and the differing claims.

Discussion at the ARF is needed as the issue goes beyond bilateral China-Vietnam ties. Similar controversies have erupted between China and the Philippines, following Chinese moves to build an exploratory rig near the Palawan waters. (Simon Tay, Singapore)

Your comments:

Most Asians realize that the economic power has shifted from the West to the East. This 21st century is in fact the best century for almost 200 years. Why does the US and its allies try their very best to create division among Asians?

The answer can be found at its recent history. The West is well known for its policy of “Divide and Conquer” or Divide et Empera, the principle employed to enslave people. It works only if Asian people allow themselves to be entrapped by this destructive policy.

Brian
Sydney

I am not sure which side the writer is on? By the way, I agree some and disagree some.

Agreed: ASEAN should, as a whole, not be part of the problem. Don’t expect Myanmar and Cambodia and Laos and Thailand to play even the cheerleader role.

Looking at the U-Map claims by China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia and Singapore are the ones who will lose the most to the least.

Indonesia shall not be neutral as the Natuna gas project and fishing water nearby will be claimed by the Chinese sooner or later. Some members have to act together.

Disagree: Trade with China. ASEAN will be on the losing end, look at Vietnam, China’s neighbor.

The trade deficit with China keeps growing and they can’t compete with the Chinese, and I don’t think Indonesia or the Philippines can fare better than Vietnam once the Chinese are at your doorstep.

Hoang
Hanoi

ASEAN countries must realize that they must quickly bring their population growth under control and bring the region to a constant population preferably below 700 million, and look at reducing the population below 500 million by 2100.

This is an important means to pulling as many people out of poverty as possible, and to give the majority of people a reasonable standard of living.

Europe has stabilized its population at around the 500 million mark, and probably looks at going below 400 million by 2100. Europe and the ASEAN countries have about the same land area.

Arum
Australia