OPINION: Engagement with China needed
The Jakarta Post - Many recent debates surrounding Indonesia’s supposed leadership in the region have been framed in terms of how Indonesia could (or should) engage China. One of the most heated debates concerns the South China Sea (SCS) issue. The highly charged tensions in the SCS have cast serious doubts on China’s “peaceful rise”. Recent articles by Evan Laksmana and Klaus Raditio have brought up timely conversations on how best to engage China, to which the author will attempt to contribute. Whether the term “hegemonic” is deemed as pejorative or neutral, China’s behavior in the SCS ought to be understood through its domestic context. Inability or unwillingness to understand this would seriously undermine our ability to formulate effective policies of engagement. There are several contributing factors behind China’s behavior that we need to consider. Firstly, is the history factor. China’s claims to the SCS have evolved with its transition from an empire to a modern republic and