Merits, if any, of U-Tapao proposal, must be convincing

The Cabinet will have to ensure transparent discussions and close communications with both the domestic audience and other countries should it decide to allow Washington to use U-Tapao air base as a “climate research” and possible disaster-relief centre. If it does not clarify the decision, Bangkok may be unnecessarily drawn into international tension. This would be no surprise, since there has been much speculation over the merits of – and, perhaps, the real intention behind – the American request. 

Washington has said Nasa, the US space agency, would use U-Tapao to conduct one of its most complex and ambitious airborne-science programmes, known as the Southeast Asia Composition, Cloud, Climate Coupling Regional Study, or SEAC4RS. But controversy has been stirred because the Thai government has apparently not communicated thoroughly with all interested parties – not only the public and opposition parties but also our neighbours, especially China. After all, it seems that everyone has “security interests” in the region these days.

The US’s real intention concerning U-Tapao has been the subject of speculation because there has been a general failure by both countries to communicate to the public the potential benefits of the project. Cabinet members who support the American proposal have failed to convince the Thai people that the idea will have no security implications.

China’s reaction to America’s renewed activity in the Asia-Pacific region has so far been mostly restricted to informal diplomatic comments. Washington says its intent is genuine and non-threatening. China’s official response to that is that it hopes so. 

In an exclusive interview with The Nation’s editor-in-chief Suthichai Yoon, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Fu Ying seemed to convey that message.

Asked about the US’s intention to rebalance its forces in Asia and the Pacific, Fu said China has no problem accepting any constructive US activity in the region. She stopped short of saying whether she believed recent US-related developments in Asia are positive as far as China is concerned.

Fu Ying was not necessarily reflecting how the Beijing government really feels. She could perhaps be wary of potential diplomatic difficulties with the US. While saying she welcomed a positive or constructive US role in the region, she nevertheless urged members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) not to become tools of the major powers. The U-Tapao issue has thus created something of a disturbance, leading to cautious and awkward diplomatic pronouncements on both sides. 

The Thai Cabinet will hold a crucial meeting today to make a final decision on the US request to use U-Tapao for weather study and possibly disaster relief. Among the key points for discussion is the question of how a US presence at U-Tapao would make China really feel.

Apart from political problems on the Thai side, China is also treading difficult diplomatic waters. And the thorny issue of territorial claims in the South China Sea doesn’t help. After the easing of the stand-off at Scarborough Shoal between China and the Philippines in recent weeks, diplomatic tension at the other end of the vast sea has flared again, this time regarding overlapping claims with Vietnam.

When it comes to the South China Sea disputes, regional anxiety shifts from the US to China. On this issue, the Chinese vice minister reiterated that Beijing wants to handle the issues peacefully through direct negotiations with the countries concerned. China and the Asean countries in 2002 signed the Declaration of Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, which commits all parties to “exercise self-restraint” when dealing with maritime conflicts and disputes. The overlapping issues in the South China Sea can and should be resolved through discussions and diplomatic channels, on the basis of trust and sincerity.

The South China Sea and U-Tapao are two separate issues at the moment, but if the Thai government fails to adequately explain the merits of the US proposal, it will create further unnecessary speculation and rumour. Let’s hope the two issues don’t become intertwined in the future.