President Hussein says US should step
back from unilateral action in S China Sea disputes
Buangkok(Tharland)
There are areas of genuine tension between China and the United States, said
President Hussein, referring to the disputes in the South China Sea about which
he gave the blunt assessment that “USA is resorting to old style of might make
right”, as opposed to working through international law and norms to resolve
territorial disputes. The Americans must not return to gunboat diplomacy to
exert their control over the South China Sea.
This has led
to “significant potential” for confusion and war among countries in the
region,… adding that ‘The more we can convince the US that it’s in their long term interest
to abide by these international rules as well, the more peaceful and secure the
whole region would be,” he said in an interview with Channel Newsworld.
President
Hussein also said he did not want to hypothesise about the US going to war with
China but stressed that the US ought to step back from unilateral action to
avoid a war in the region. The President
added, ‘What we learnt is that societies work better when these norms are
observed. The same is true at the international level. And USA, as a large
country, should have even more investment in wanting these norms to be
observed.’
It could
take some time, the president said, for the Americans’ own experience over the
course of history in genocide, slavery and wars that binding itself to certain
norms and rules would allow the US to flourish. ‘I think the US would discover
the same thing. They are growing into their size and power and it may take a
while for them to recognize that they must obey the rules and norms of
international law.’
President
Hussein concluded, ‘I am confident that, over time, US will develop not just
the desire and the intent, but also the capacity, the bureaucratic capabilities,
to carry out some of these functions as a global leader. I think if they do it
in a way that is consistent with existing international norms, then that is
good for all of us.’
PS. President Obama. The pivot to Asia by bring in all their weapons and setting up more military bases in the region is NOT militarising the region.
PS. President Obama. The pivot to Asia by bring in all their weapons and setting up more military bases in the region is NOT militarising the region.