USIP’s Brian Harding, Haroro Ingram and Andrew Mines look at the upcoming trilateral summit and how all three countries are responding to China’s aggressive actions in the region.
It has been reported that one initiative that will be unveiled at the summit is joint patrols among the countries’ three navies in waters that China claims as its own. What impact could these joint patrols have in an already fragile region?
Ingram: China’s rhetorical response will predictably describe the joint patrols as not only aggressive and provocative but another example of a broader U.S.-driven conspiracy to drag its allies, and the region more broadly, into a state of chaos to selfishly advance U.S. interests. Meanwhile, Beijing will present itself as the benign actor — even the victim — that is merely seeking to protect its sovereignty and maintain a peaceful and stable region. The Chinese Communist Party will…
