ASEAN's Challenge: A Swaggering China

choi

Odd Arne Westad, ASEAN's Challenge: A Swaggering China; Beijing's relationship with its neighbors is moving in the wrong direction. Los Angeles Times, Apr 7, 2014 (op-ed).
www.latimes.com/opinion/commenta ... -china-sea-20140407,0,3997317.story

three consecutive paragraphs:

"Some people would say that the downward turn in the relationship is an unavoidable part of China's rise. Great powers, the theory goes, invariably throw their weight around and antagonize their neighbors. Look at the United States in the 19th century. How many Mexicans, or Cubans, or even Canadians would have seen the United States as a benign power then?

"Ultimately, however, smaller nations make their peace with the great power, as they get used to its peculiar ways and the great power learns that more can be achieved through integration and interdependence than through land (or sea) grabs and military posturing.

"But the China-ASEAN relationship is not necessarily moving in this direction.

My comment: There is no need to read the rest, which is familiar. Besides, he offers no solutions.