America is undermining the world order, not defending it

Washington avoided holding military drills or taking other actions that could have further inflamed tensions with Beijing when its guided-missile destroyer USS Lassen entered waters around China’s islands in the South China Sea, said a Reuters report last Friday, citing anonymous US officials. This exposure is in sharp contrast to the hawkish remarks and actions of high-ranking US officials, including Defence Secretary Ash Carter.

While on an eight-day tour of Asia, Carter boarded a US aircraft carrier in the South China Sea last Thursday and accused Beijing of having “perpetrated” most of the “activities” in the South China Sea in the past year, before expressing concern over “Chinese behaviour”.

The USS Lassen’s incursion and Carter’s carrier visit were widely seen as a challenge from Washington to Beijing’s maritime claims in the South China Sea. The US has also held many joint military drills with allies close to the disputed waters and strengthened its military alliances in the region to implement its “rebalancing to Asia” strategy.

Carter should understand that US actions in the South China Sea are to primarily blame for complicating the territorial disputes and straining relations between the world’s two largest economies, which have raised concerns among the international community.

Yet it seems the Pentagon chief has a penchant for pointing the finger at others, while refusing to acknowledge the egg on the face of Uncle Sam. Speaking at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library on Saturday, Carter said Russia and China pose distinct challenges for the world order because of Moscow’s assertiveness and Beijing’s expanding military influence.

The pillars of the world order he said should be defended and strengthened are peaceful resolution of disputes, freedom from coercion, respect for state sovereignty and freedom of navigation. The irony is that, no matter which standards we follow, it is US actions in recent years that have posed the greatest threat to these pillars. In the Middle East, for instance, the US has always preferred interference and intervention to peaceful resolution of disputes. 

More often than not, it has used coercion to impose its will and values on others. Its recent actions in the South China is alone enough to demonstrate it has no respect for other country’s sovereignty.

China has repeatedly said it has no intention of challenging the world order, because it too has benefited from it. Also, China has been a staunch advocate of upholding the post-war world order. The onus, therefore, is on the US to take measures to sincerely defend the world order instead of exploiting it to fulfil its narrow-minded goals.

There has been no fundamental change in China’s stance on the South China Sea. The only change has been in its efforts to maintain good neighbourly relations with countries in the region, and to defend its sovereignty and maritime interests.

The situation in the South China Sea has remained peaceful and stable since the end of the Cold War, with China playing an important role in keeping it that way. As a country whose national strength far exceeds that of most others in the region, China has exercised exemplary restraint, which is the most important contributing factor to peace and stability in the South China Sea and the region as a whole.