Dungeness
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Despite the western media's portrayal of China as aggressive, we have to really appreciate how calm Beijing and Taipei have been. In fact we should appraise how Beijing's size has restrained Hanoi's own ambitions to the militarily weak position of Manila. I believe that if Beijing did not show military potency , and assertion, then Hanoi would have already taken more islands from the Philipines' in the Kalayaan. Absent of China, there would have already been contingency in the South China Sea.
Perhaps we should find repose in that China has acted with maturity and elegance by rising above petty trifles. Building in her own naval prowess and defense zones .
As for China's PR and Image abroad; it is developing. We must accept the fact that for most of China's modern history under the CPC, China has been internally focused with mandated domestic growth and land frontier security. It has only been recently that China pursues a more direct policy in her maritime frontier since it was only recently that she was able to build an effective naval force capable of projecting Chinese national interests in the East and South China Seas. This is a healthy and Normal evolution for the state and for the arm of the state; the PLAN, PLA, PLAAF.
As China develops further and as her military machine picks up momentum , we can expect an adjuvant development of her Public Image and international respect. As a challenger of US hegemonic position , it is only natural for Beijing to be subject to Washington's angst. It is testament to the ascendancy of China. Baptism under fire, so to say.
@TaiShang , input my brother ?
Agree. Without China's presence, Vietnamese would have taken most if not all of Filipinos assets in SCS, by hook or by crook. In 1975 Vietnamese shipped some prostitutes to Northeast Clay, then invited Filipinos on Southwest Clay to the party. Filipinos returned to Southwest Clay after the party, only to find that Vietnamese had taken their island at their absence.
Vietnam has always been very aggressive in their territorial claims, and they had (may still have) the big dream of annex the whole sub Mekong as one unified country. They hate China, because Chinese spoiled their territorial expansion ambition on both land and sea.
As for the international PR, China used to have a very strong political influence around the world in Mao's era, and it was representing the political correctness and the universal values. Today, China's voice hardly matters. Personally, I believe current Chinese propaganda machine has been infiltrated by western influence, either voluntarily or involuntarily. China should have its own power of discourse in the world if it indeed wants to be one of poles in the new world order.