The United States and China in Power Transition - Strategic Studies ...
The United States and China in Power Transition - Strategic Studies ...
The United States and China in Power Transition - Strategic Studies ...
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delimitated by the 9 dashed border l<strong>in</strong>es. <strong>Ch<strong>in</strong>a</strong> has<br />
had these dashed l<strong>in</strong>es around the South <strong>Ch<strong>in</strong>a</strong> Sea on<br />
its maps s<strong>in</strong>ce 1947, when the first map was published<br />
by Chiang Kai-shek’s Nationalist government shortly<br />
before its fall <strong>and</strong> retreat to Taiwan. However, neither<br />
the Nationalist government nor the PRC government<br />
has ever clarified whether those dashed l<strong>in</strong>es are temporary<br />
markers of <strong>Ch<strong>in</strong>a</strong>’s territorial boundary that<br />
cover both the water as well as the l<strong>and</strong> features <strong>in</strong> the<br />
South <strong>Ch<strong>in</strong>a</strong> Sea <strong>and</strong> would be eventually formalized<br />
as permanent Ch<strong>in</strong>ese border l<strong>in</strong>es. By tak<strong>in</strong>g an official<br />
st<strong>and</strong> on this issue, Cl<strong>in</strong>ton is dismiss<strong>in</strong>g those<br />
Ch<strong>in</strong>ese markers. <strong>The</strong> <strong>United</strong> <strong>States</strong> is now a disputant <strong>in</strong><br />
the South <strong>Ch<strong>in</strong>a</strong> Sea disputes.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Ch<strong>in</strong>ese were furious. <strong>The</strong>y had asked Cl<strong>in</strong>ton<br />
not to br<strong>in</strong>g this issue to the ASEAN Regional Forum<br />
prior to the meet<strong>in</strong>g. <strong>The</strong>y were angry that the U.S.<br />
Secretary of State not only ignored their plead<strong>in</strong>gs, but<br />
also took such a forceful st<strong>and</strong> at the forum. Ch<strong>in</strong>ese<br />
Foreign M<strong>in</strong>ister Yang Jiechi immediately responded<br />
with “a very strong <strong>and</strong> emotional statement essentially<br />
suggest<strong>in</strong>g that this was a pre-planned mobilization<br />
on this issue. . . . He was dist<strong>in</strong>ctly not happy.” 141<br />
<strong>Ch<strong>in</strong>a</strong> rejected the U.S. attempt to “<strong>in</strong>ternationalize<br />
<strong>and</strong> complicate” the South <strong>Ch<strong>in</strong>a</strong> Sea disputes <strong>and</strong><br />
vowed not to cave <strong>in</strong> to the U.S. pressure. In an unmistakable<br />
show of its resolve, <strong>Ch<strong>in</strong>a</strong> had the PLA carry<br />
out a large-scale live-fire military exercise <strong>in</strong> the South<br />
<strong>Ch<strong>in</strong>a</strong> Sea, reportedly <strong>in</strong>volv<strong>in</strong>g all of <strong>Ch<strong>in</strong>a</strong>’s naval<br />
fleets (the Northern, Eastern, <strong>and</strong> South <strong>Ch<strong>in</strong>a</strong> Sea<br />
fleets), right after this confrontational exchange. 142 <strong>The</strong><br />
PLA naval exercise was also an apparent countermeasure<br />
aga<strong>in</strong>st the up-com<strong>in</strong>g first-ever U.S.-Vietnam<br />
military exercises <strong>in</strong> the South <strong>Ch<strong>in</strong>a</strong> Sea. <strong>The</strong> U.S.-<br />
Vietnam military exercises were to commemorate the<br />
142