Special: W.E. Talk 东西问 · 中外对话
(ECNS)– Since taking office, the Biden administration has gone all out to promote the Indo-Pacific Strategy, trying to draw in regional countries to contain China. But why is the strategy more of a threat to the peaceful development of the Asia-Pacific region? How does the Republic of the Philippines and other Southeast Asian countries view this strategy? In the face of American containment, how should China respond?
In the latest W.E. Talk, Hu Bo, director of the South China Sea Strategic Situation Probing Initiative, Research Professor of the School of International Studies at Peking University and Lucio Blanco Pitlo III, research fellow at the Asia-Pacific Pathways to Progress Foundation, Member of the Board of Directors of the Philippine Association for Chinese Studies were invited to discuss on the above topics.
Hu Bo pointed out that the U.S. has viewed the Asia-Pacific region as the most important theater of operations, and it has deployed more than 60% of U.S. air and marine military platforms in this region. He emphasized that although the United States is trying to piece together an anti-China alliance in Asia, Southeast Asian countries are generally reluctant to take a side. Facing the complicated situation, China has the confidence and ability to face the challenge.
Lucio Blanco Pitlo III said that ASEAN members are concerned that competition of great powers may force them to choose sides, so they hope to de-escalate the situation through dialogue.
Here are excerpts of the dialogue.
