FORMER Malaysian leader Mahathir Mohamad says, ASEAN nations are hemmed in on the disputed South China Sea, avoiding confronting china because of its sheer power.
In a Feb. 25 interview with Bloomberg Television in Kuala Lumpur, Mahathir said:
“Can ASEAN go to war with china?” “We are dealing with a very powerful country. We can’t tell them ‘look, don’t do this, don’t do that, or I will bash your head’.”
China is the largest trading partner of the 10-member ASEAN and has pledged sorely-needed infrastructure investment funds to the region as part of its plan to build a new maritime “silk road” trading route from china to the middle east and onto Europe.
China’s trading influence is increasingly matched by an expanded naval presence in the region, with missiles, fighter jets and radar operating from some reefs and islands it controls. (Eagle News Service)