China-US Focus

The U.S.-China Hong Kong Forum returns, gathering top global experts to tackle key issues in the bilateral relationship. Follow us for exclusive interviews and insights! #HKForum2024

On November 15-16, our annual “U.S.-China Hong Kong Forum” will bring together global leaders to discuss the future of U.S.-China relations post-2024 elections. Keynote speakers include China’s Ambassador Xie Feng, U.S. Ambassador Nicholas Burns, and notable figures like Chief Adviser to the Interim Government of Bangladesh, Muhammad Yunus, and the 12th U.S. Trade Representative, Charlene Barshefsky. With panels on trade, climate change, and cultural exchanges, we aim to foster high-level dialogue and find solutions to today’s most pressing challenges. Stay tuned for insights from this critical meeting! #HKForum2024 #USChinaRelations

The #Philippines is emerging as the epicenter of global geopolitics amidst the United States-China rivalry. #US #India #Japan #Germany #France, #Italy, #UK, #Australia, #Canada, #Vietnam #NewZealand #Singapore #Brunei. In recent months, all have engaged with Manila on security matters. The factor is President Marcos Jr.’s diplomatic acumen. A distinctive approach to managing international relations, positioning the country as the new crucial swing state. The Philippines has refined bamboo diplomacy by integrating a robust security component, a strategy I term ‘bamboo military diplomacy’ to counter China’s assertiveness in the SCS.                                                                    Bongbong has fortified the military alliance with #Washington with a dual approach that balances cooperation and restraint while maintaining calculated ambiguity with #Beijing. Nonetheless, the long-term viability of this security-diplomatic strategy remains uncertain. While it enhances the Philippines’ deterrence, the balance is precariously thin. #China has grown overconfident following the success of its Maritime Silk Road – String of Pearls strategy, with a network of tactical ports and military outposts across the Indian Ocean. However, without dominion of the SCS—first and last stop for China’s shipping fleets—those efforts would be in vain. The Philippines topography is pivotal there, with its proximity to #Taiwan—190 km away—intensifying security concerns. Indeed, #Beijing acts as though control of the SCS is the essential buffer zone to the nation’s very survival, or at least to the persistence of its leadership. Yet… Can China handle everything everywhere all at once? Beijing’s strategic mindset and ability to simultaneously confront multiple fronts in Asia-Pacific without risking failure remains delicate: pushing for Taiwan’s “reunification”, asserting maritime claims affecting #Malaysia, #Vietnam and the #Philippines, and clashing with India along the LAC. The Philippines’ central role adds complexity: 1. Enhanced military cooperation with the US allows Washington to position as a crucial counterbalance to Beijing 2. Manila’s new policy towards China could inspire other #ASEAN nations to follow suit 3. China's efforts to protect territorial claims may come at the cost of strengthening security alliances among other regional actors, risking unintended consequences Nevertheless, evolving concerns about US security commitments offer China an opportunity. With the uncertainty surrounding US guarantees post-November, especially if Trump wins, #IndoPacific nations might face shifts in traditional alliances. China could achieve greater success through soft power, where persuasion outshines provocation. More: The Philippines, Geopolitical Flashpoint of the Decade, published by China-US Focus #BambooMilitaryDiplomacy https://lnkd.in/dsV8FNuJ