Tensions compounded by Japan, Philippines
China's peripheral diplomacy this year may look more complicated with the South China Sea ruling and the deployment of a U.S. defense shield on the Korean Peninsula, but the overall situation remains under control, analysts said. [Special coverage]
"It may be too early to draw any conclusions on how things will pan out, as we are yet to see what effect the G20 will have, but the situation this year is definitely more complicated than in previous years. Some issues have been imposed on us against our will," Jin Canrong, deputy director of the Center of American Studies at the Renmin University of China, told the Global Times.
China is hosting the G20 summit from September 4-5 in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province. The meeting has been described as the "biggest diplomatic event of the year" for China. On the sidelines of the summit, Chinese President Xi Jinping is set to hold bilateral talks with several visiting heads of states, including U.S. President Barack Obama.
"China wishes to stabilize Sino-U.S. relations before Obama leaves the Oval Office. With Sino-U.S. ties stabilized, China would have at least half of its geopolitical environment under control," Jin said.
In July, the U.S. and South Korea announced their decision to deploy a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery in South Korea by the end of next year as deterrence against North Korea's nuclear and missile tests.
The decision has met strong opposition from China and Russia as THAAD can be also used as a radar to spy on neighboring countries' activities.
"As for the Korean Peninsula, China and the U.S. will need to reach a consensus. The negative consequences of the deployment of the THAAD anti-missile system should be controlled to avoid affecting overall Sino-U.S. and Sino-South Korean relations. All three countries still need to cooperate on the denuclearization of the peninsula," Jin noted.
As for the South China Sea disputes and the rifts they have caused between China and certain Southeast Asian countries, analysts said China has been working hard to de-escalate the tensions, including efforts to prevent tit from coming between China's relations with ASEAN as a whole as well as an open invitation from the Chinese foreign ministry for the Philippine president's special envoy Fidel Ramos to visit Beijing.
Good neighbor
"Of the 20 neighboring countries, China has good relations with the majority, especially Russia and Pakistan. The main issues come from two countries - Japan and the Philippines," Jin said.
The former Philippine administration of Benigno Aquino III filed the South China Sea arbitration in The Hague in 2013, in which China refused to participate, as it considers the process illegal. The tribunal in July ruled against China's claims within the nine-dash line. China said the verdict had no binding force.
Meanwhile, Sino-Japanese ties plunged to a new low after Japan "nationalized" the disputed Diaoyu Islands in 2012. Although China and Japan managed to control the situation over the past two years, tensions have been on the rise recently after Japan insinuated itself into the South China Sea disputes, urging China to "respect the verdict."
"Of all the peripheral issues, I think the Korean Peninsula will remain a key focus of attention as North Korea's development of nuclear weapons poses a threat to China's security whether directly or potentially," Jia Qingguo, dean of the School of International Studies at Peking University, told the Global Times.
"As for the East and South China Seas, we need to better manage the differences and prevent it from affecting China's overall diplomacy and China's 'Belt and Road' initiative," Jia noted.
Analysts said China's foreign policy is becoming more proactive under transformations prompted by the changing domestic and external environments.
Externally, the U.S. has adopted the pivot to Asia strategy under the Obama administration. At the same time, China becoming the world's second-largest economy has fundamentally changed how peripheral countries view China.
"Believing China is now strong and powerful, many no longer wish to put aside disputes as they used to and want to consolidate their interests with the help of the U.S.," Jin said.
