中国放口风暂不划设南海空识区 +缅甸+台湾

choi

VOA Chinese, Feb 27, 2014.
www.voachinese.com/content/china-defense-20140227/1860455.html

Quote:

(a) "华盛顿政策性刊物《国家利益》（National Interest）最新一期发表一篇题为《美国对南中国海的立场日趋强硬》的文章说，白宫可能已经对中国最近在东中国海和南中国海 '香肠切片' 式的做法失去耐心。文章指出，过去几个星期白宫官员在这个问题上 '日渐强硬' 的言论表明，美国有在南中国海划设 '红线' 的迹象，以遏阻北京的'进一步蚕食。'

(b) "上海政法学院国际事务与公共管理系教授倪乐雄教授认为，中国是否决定设立南中国海防空识别区主要是看是否有必要，美国的恐吓不是主要因素。这位中国学者强调，北京有自己的战略考量，主要是不想把越南逼上绝路。

"他说：'中国当然要考虑到这样一个因素，不要因为南海问题就把越南推到美日同盟方面。越南一向表现对中国展现两手姿态：只要你逼得不紧，我就和美国靠得不近；你如果逼得紧，我就只好对不起了，只好上美国这条船。'

"倪乐雄说，越南最近不断向中国示好，两国关系呈现稳定发展的态势。虽然菲律宾始终保持对中国的强硬态度，但这个国家太弱小，对中国的安全利益不构成严重的威胁。

Note:
(a) The report cites

Robert Haddick, Getting Tough in the South China Sea. National Interest, Feb 25, 2014
nationalinterest.org/commentary/getting-tough-the-south-china-sea-9946
("Robert Haddick is an independent contractor at U.S. Special Operations Command")

This seems to be a blog, not published in a hard copy.
(b) Well, I might have believed in National Interest more, had it not published, in a hard copy no less:

John J Mearsheimer, Say Goodbye to Taiwan. National Interest, March/April 2014.
nationalinterest.org/issue/march-april-2014

A couple of days ago I rolled my eyes and forced myself to finish the article. This thinking has been around since 1949.

choi

美日合作支持缅甸改革，官员称非为与中竞争. VOA Chinese, Feb 27, 2014.
www.voachinese.com/content/us-japan-myanmar-20140226/1860052.html

Note: 官员 refers to "日本驻美大使佐佐江贤一郎 Kenichirō SASAE 25号在华盛顿表示" and "美国国务院缅甸事务资深顾问赛弗金" Senior Advisor for Burma Judith CEFKIN.

choi

William Lowther, US May Press Taiwan to Boost Defense. Taipei Times, Feb 28, 2014 (available now)
www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2014/02/28/2003584521
(David Shear said before the US Senate Armed Services Committee this week, as it considered his nomination (for US assistant secretary of defense for Asia) that if confirmed, he would “urge” Taiwan to increase its defense budget to 3 percent of GDP)

My comment: Before Ma Ying-jeou became a president in 2007, he pledged that, which he never honored. YS has "urged" many times, to no avail. I do not think it will work this time.