China
Sierens China: More dialogue than arguments
China and the USA fight for the supremacy in Asia. But Beijing and Washington are not only in competition, but also benefit from each other, says DW columnist Frank Umbrella.
Between China and the U.S. the ratio is similar to that in a pride of lions. There is an old well established Alpha lion has to Say. But there is always a younger, stronger second lion, the Löwengruppe with protected and against the dangers defended. At the same time, however, tests the younger the lion regained his strength compared to the older. That China is now in the Territorialstreit in the South China sea his claws to extend and not for the squeamish, is testimony to the new self-confidence that the second largest economy in the meantime.
During the visit of Chinese foreign Minister Wang Yi with US Secretary of state John Kerry in Washington appeared on Tuesday of this week, images that Beijing’s fighter jets to the disputed Islands. Already last week, showed satellite images that China on one of the disputed Islands anti-aircraft missiles stationed. The pictures showed two air-defense missile racks on Woody Island with a range of around 200 kilometers. Ironically, at the same time, as U.S. President Barack Obama several Southeast Asian countries to a conference in California received to talk about how the conflict relax could.
Large differences in the Inselstreit
DW correspondent Frank Umbrella
The South China sea between Brunei, China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore and the Philippines. A third of the world’s shipping traffic is dealt with there. In the Region of large Oil and gas deposits are suspected. China claims 90 percent of the 3.5 million square feet of area for themselves, including Islands and reefs, some of which are more than 800 kilometers from the Chinese but only about 220 kilometers from the Philippine coast.
The conflict would peacefully and according to international law, be settled, said Obama political with a view of the Territorialstreitigkeiten. But we should not forget: Obama has in recent months again and again with Tracks from B52-bombers and Schiffspatrouillen in the Region provoked. Also made China’s foreign Minister Wang Yi during his current visit to the USA once clear that the dispute is a matter between the neighbouring Islands in the South China sea, and the United States, this is clear.
U.S. and China: common interests
Even if the disputes over the Islands in the South China sea, now in the next round, China and the United States can also be different: Both Nations are not only competing, but also benefit from each other. In the past year alone, the commercial Value of the Goods between the two countries 558,4 billion U.S. dollars and the Chinese are now the largest trading partner of the Americans.
Also the mutual investment, about 150 billion dollars. And the number of tourists between China and the USA increased recently to around five million. And finally, China is the largest creditor of American. The more one is dependent on each other, the more you have to talk to each other. Therefore, the Chinese foreign Minister Wang Yi and his American counterpart, John Kerry alone in the last 30 days three Times already to conversations taken.
Our correspondent Frank Umbrella lives since over 20 years ago in Beijing.