Monday, April 18, 2016

South China Sea dispute: China must step up public diplomacy


He Yafei, Latest News 36

Image from article, with caption: China, which claims about 2 million square km of the maritime territory, has always maintained that “the situation in the South China Sea is stable [Xinhua]

Excerpt:
China today faces a multitude of security challenges in its neighborhood, with the South China Sea leading the issues that will test China’s global strategy of peaceful development. ...
Two ... things that China should pursue with determination and smart use of public diplomacy.
The first of course is to continue her legitimate construction wherever necessary on islands and reefs in the South China Sea, which can serve China’s defensive purpose as well as put China in a better position to provide needed public services to the region.
The second is to use public diplomacy to tell “the China Story” on the South China Sea, since China often finds herself in situations where “stories” told by Western media and so-called experts are either twisted or groundless.
In sum, as the security framework is being transformed, the South China Sea issue needs to be viewed and addressed through the prism of the context of evolving security order of the region.
This article was first published in China-US Focus.
He Yafei is former vice-minister of the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the State Council, and former vice-minister of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs

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