William Choong

US-China rivalry – over the South China Sea especially – may be a continuous contest rather than war

While China consolidates its position in Asia, its neighbours and the US are adjusting accordingly. War serves neither side’s interests, especially if they can find ‘focal points’ for negotiation

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William Choong

Published: 1:00am, 13 Jun 2019Updated: 4:06am, 13 Jun 2019

Speaking at the recent Shangri-La Dialogue, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong used an oft-spoken aphorism: “When elephants fight, the grass is trampled; when elephants make love, the grass also suffers.” Over the weekend, I counted at least three other instances in which the statement was used. It shows one thing: Sino-American competition has intensified, and has indeed become a dialogue of the deaf.

During the meeting, acting US Secretary of Defence Patrick Shanahan and his Chinese counterpart, General Wei Fenghe, took potshots at each other. Both were keen to push their visions for regional security. They dug into their respective positions and were in no mood to negotiate.

Shanahan spoke eloquently about the “universal principles” behind the US’ free and open Indo-Pacific strategy: respect for sovereignty; peaceful resolution of disputes; free, fair and reciprocal trade; and the adherence to international rules and norms.

One does not need to be a political scientist to understand the subtext. Washington has labelled China a “revisionist power”. In his speech, Shanahan spoke about states that sought to “undermine the rules-based order”. Indeed, the US is conducting a full-court press of China – in realms such as tariffs, technology, human rights and cyber espionage.

In his corner, Wei gave as good as he got, stressing the peaceful nature of China’s rise and contribution to international security. While the general sounded tentative initially, he grew increasingly confident during his solo plenary, and at times asked Dr John Chipman, director general of the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), if he could answer more questions.

Chinese Minister of Defence Wei Fenghe made clear at the IISS Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore that his country could negotiate but would not be bullied. Photo: Reuters