Showdown with China looms at regional security summit

Question for the 50-centers: can you honestly say that China only wants peace when they purposefully divide the countries that have disputes, reject the US playing any sort of role in Asia, and continue things like drilling, ramming ships, and blocking supply vessels in these disputed territories?

It's Japan's 'fault.'

China employs the culture of taking and not giving. With one communist party which monopoly the whole country with no challenging, plus the rise of economics means; this bully one more by utilizing every dirty ploys including spitting out non-senses to justify their selfish ambition. China model is a bad example for the progress of ASEAN and all nations.

Beijing maintains it has “indisputable sovereignty” over almost the entire sea, including waters, islands, reefs, shoals and outcrops nearer to other countries.

Dear China,

I don't think "indisputable" means what you think it means. (Otherwise everybody would agree, instead of everybody disagreeing?)

The rest of the world

That is the image that China is giving to the world. If China want to have a good image, she need to be friendly to others and share peaceful behavior.

The hysterical part is that while the showdown is looming larger at the reginal gathering, J-govt is frantically trying to “engineer” a formal minister-to-minister meeting at the sideline with Chinese counterpart through diplomatic and back-channel (such happens is still unlikely if you don’t count “surprise encounter” at the lobby or hallway.)

Hoping that Japan doesn’t sell its south Asian alliances for its own benefits like it did with Russia which banned imports of most food from the US and the West on Thursday in retaliation against sanctions over Ukraine, yet “accidently” left Japan out.

Japan can say "showdown" with China, but never said this to Russia and the USA, the only reason is China never really give a unforgettable lesson to Japan.

Japan is a nation only respect the stronger. SO Japan deserve to be defeat heavily.

"Japan" is barely mentioned in this article and the 50 centers can only post anti-Japan comments. LOL

@mgglife and your mad thirst for revenge 70 years later is why the civilized world wants nothing to do with China.

While it would be pleasant to see China tone down the rhetoric and behave more like Europe the press always needs a conflict to sell their BS and stoke the fire more than is necessary. Or, as Hearst told his correspondent during the run up to the Spanish American war, "you provide the pictures, I'll provide the way."

@scipantheist

You know there are plenty of grudges that are still held today by other countries...

And your comment about the civilized world wanting nothing to do with China is completely false - plain economics proves it, if nothing else.

scipantheist, what is it about revenge? Chinese leader had said before that the Chinese would forgive but they will not forget. The problem is Japanese gov’t tries so hard to convince its citizens and the world to forget its awful past. That is not the right way to go. That leads China to prepare for the worst. The key player in all these disputes is the US. The US has poked its nose everywhere and caused so much trouble and suffering for the people there. Without the US standing behind the curtain, none of these disputes would have been escalated up to this point. Think about it carefully, what China has been doing is quite normal for a country to assert its sovereignty, especially when it’s being provoked over and over again. Talking about “aggressive,” think if China behaved like Russia there wouldn’t be words going back and forth like this, only bloodshed and Chinese gunships everywhere. Anyway, every nation in the world whether civilized or uncivilized they all want to have something to do with China. Can you name one country that does not welcome China or being an enemy of China, just one?

flowersAug. 09, 2014 - 02:59AM JST Think about it carefully, what China has been doing is quite normal for a country to assert its sovereignty, especially >when it’s being provoked over and over again

Do tell us how China is being "provoked".

Oh, there are many countries scared of China and many in it for blind self-interest, but no one (aside from the Koreas) actually likes the place. So you don't like the way Japan is dealing with it's history, huh, flowers? What are you going to do about it? I'm guessing your answer secretly is: we hurt them until they respect us. That isn't acceptable according to the broader community of nations and China will have to learn to be a part of that.

scipantheistAug. 09, 2014 - 03:48AM JST Oh, there are many countries scared of China and many in it for blind self-interest, but no one (aside from the Koreas) actually likes the place.

For two countries that so distrust each other, they sure do a lot of business together. For Japan, exports to China are a key source of growth, but the relationship is hardly a one-way street. China imports substantial from Japan, and many of those goods are indispensable to China’s economic advance. Yet the tensions are inflicting an economic toll, even as their economies become ever more fused together. The challenge facing China and Japan is how to set aside or resolve their territorial dispute and create a more favorable environment for the trade and investment both sides need for their economic futures. If there is a minor or major skirmish in East China Seas or South China Seas, there will be a major economic consequences to the involved parites.

OssanAmerica, how many times that Abe went around and bad-mouthed China? We all know that all these disputes have been in existence for decades. But after the US announced its “pivot to Asia,” Japanese gov’t just got tired of status quo and nationalized the islands knowing all full well how China would react. The Philippines parked their rusty ship right in the disputed area with their people living on it. What did Japan do? It provides financial assistance and free stuff just for the Philippines to be on its good side. And freebies for everyone who would turn against China, now Vietnam got some too. Most recently Japanese jets shadowed unarmed Chinese aircraft. There have been many instances that Japan has provoked China if only China would behave like Russia, I believe Japanese govn’t would instantly shut their mouths and behave.

flowersAug. 09, 2014 - 04:16AM JST Most recently Japanese jets shadowed unarmed Chinese aircraft. There have been many instances that Japan has provoked China if only China would behave like Russia, I believe Japanese govn’t would instantly shut their mouths and behave.

Who is behaving like Russia? If you remember, Senior Chinese military officials have admitted that a frigate locked its radar on a Japanese destroyer without seeking instructions from the fleet command or navy headquarters during the spat over disputed islands. This happened last year. The Chinese vessel effectively had a Japanese ship in its sights.

scipantheist, so you can’t even name one. I tell you among the three world powers (US, Russia, and China) China is the best of all. It doesn’t go around and kill other people incessantly. China has the potential to be the world leader, you will see in the decade to come. Why do think they are scared of China? Think in terms of arms industry, who got the most benefits from promoting “China threat”? Both the US and Japan are benefiting from it. And, no one in their right minds would like the way Japan is dealing with its history. Talking about hurting, Japan is basically hurting itself. Majority of Chinese people like Japan and I don’t see any group that is formed to promote hatred against Japanese people, but I heard Japan has such a group. You mentioned about “community” that is the concept that China is promoting not “alliance”. So, people seem to think that China is all alone and has no ally. China doesn’t go around and create or promote wars, so China only has friends and not enemy.

flowers Aug. 09, 2014 - 04:55AM JST China has the potential to be the world leader, you will see in the decade to come.

Sure, the future of the Chinese economy is bright, the future of the Chinese people is bright, and it’s a very sophisticated economy with some of the most educated and most successful business people in the world. But they will only be leaders if the Chinese government steps back. On the one hand, it has poured massive investment into infrastructure improvements. If you look at those things, you have to ask how could China not lead? The answer is the political system. It is enabling, but it is also highly limiting, and there is a glass ceiling beyond which talent can’t rise. In fact, the state actually hurts innovation in order to benefit the Party. Many people pursue business and make investments in China with the assumption that this is a massive growing market and you have to be in there. But you need to do your homework first.

sfjp330, you talk about “glass ceiling,” I read somewhere recently that China has set its sight to be the most innovative country in the world. So, the course is set to tackle the problems that impeding innovation. Now I can see that China is not just copying the products they have improve them as well. China has all of the ingredients, such as money, people, infrastructure, systems and knowledge to be the best in the world. You talked about the political system; I think for the time being its political system is best suited for China because of its massive population and size. Its system provides efficiency and effectiveness in getting things done in the timely manner. China is now a capitalist country, despite people think that it is an authoritarian state. Its markets seem to be even more competitive than the US.

flowers Aug. 09, 2014 - 06:01AM JST I read somewhere recently that China has set its sight to be the most innovative country in the world. So, the course is set to tackle the problems that impeding innovation. Now I can see that China is not just copying the products they have improve them as well.

China’s educational system emphasizes rote learning rather than creative problem solving. The Chinese education system makes people hardworking, teaches people strong fundamentals, and makes them very good at rote learning. However, it doesn’t make them creative, original thinkers. Innovation thrives in a culture of diversity where people don’t feel the compulsion to fit in and where those with strong backbones are likely to be viewed as heroes. Unlike the U.S., which thrives on a diversity of ethnicity, national backgrounds, cultures, and languages, China is largely a sea of homogeneity.

The objectives around innovation will be not be easy in China, and will require the Chinese government to deal successfully a number of hurdles. Sure, China is well on its way to doubling the number of patent applications filed. However, the vast majority of these applications are for utility model patents rather than substance. The Chinese government’s R&D funds depends far more on whom you know than what you know. Doing good research is not as important as schmoozing with powerful bureaucrats and their favorite experts and China’s R&D culture suffers from a focus on quantity over quality. The result is not focused on innovation, but the duplication of proven knowledge.

flowersAug. 09, 2014 - 04:16AM JST OssanAmerica, how many times that Abe went around and bad-mouthed China? We all know that all these disputes >have been in existence for decades.

In 1972 China signed the Sino-Japanese Treaty of Friendship, receiving Japan's apology and reparation in the form of ODA as chosen by Chou En Lai. In 1978 China reaffirmed this Treaty of Friendship and received further assistance and investment. But once China became economically and militarily powerful it started an anti-Japan program that still has no end in sight. The "bad mouthing" you speak of is all after China's "bad-mouthing" (and riots and destruction of Japanese business' in China).

But after the US announced its “pivot to Asia,” Japanese gov’t just got tired of status quo and nationalized the islands >knowing all full well how China would react.

Japan "nationalized" 3 of the 5 islands. By "nationalized" it means the Japanese government bought them from their Japanese owners. In other words they were owned by Japanese nationals in the first place. Furthermore, 1 of the 5 islands has ALWAYS been owned by the Japanese government. So this "nationalization" made absolutely no difference to China's claim and was simply used as an excuse for China to go open with it's anti-Japan program.

The Philippines parked their rusty ship right in the disputed area with their people living on it. What did Japan do? It >provides financial assistance and free stuff just for the Philippines to be on its good side. And freebies for everyone >who would turn against China, now Vietnam got some too.

Wake up ad smell the Pu Ar tea. The Philippines and Vietnam HATE CHINA because of China's own belligerent actions towards them. They along with the rest of ASEAN see China for what it is, a fascist dictatorship bent on military and territorial expansion at the expense of their smaller Asian neighbors. Japan is right to support these smaller victims of China's arrogance.

Most recently Japanese jets shadowed unarmed Chinese aircraft. There have been many instances that Japan has >provoked China if only China would behave like Russia, I believe Japanese govn’t would instantly shut their mouths >and behave.

Sorry but it is CHINA that is provoking not only Japan but other Asian nations as well. China needs to shut it's mouth and learn to behave because it's infantile dream of becoming the "leader of Asia" is a joke.

The showdown at the gathering appeals to be grossly exaggerated so far. In a positive note, thanks to Japan’s earnest pleas and hardword behind scene, It looks like there may be a possible breakthrough at making – Japan and China might have a minister-to-minister level meeting at the summit.

Keep fingers crossed for the new development.

This world needs more peace not wars, and Japan and China can be part of peace promoting forces.

Nice comments Flowers wish the rest had a nice sense of humor like u .

Filipinos don't hate China, otherwise there would be no hundreds of thousands of them working in HK. They even fought in the courts to be become PRs. Aquino is ethnically Chinese, but he needs to act tough to bolster his disastrous support at home. There is at the moment daily demonstrations for him to be impeached. Vietnam has gone all quiet and now uses diplomacy to settle problems.