East Asia Muscles In

THE FIRST G-20 SUMMIT held last month in the second largest economy in the world saw the cleanest air in Hangzhou, thanks to the government-mandated shutting of factories in the industrial city. It demonstrated the country’s tenacity in achieving its goals, even as world leaders arrived to discuss economic agendas. One mustn’t forget the complex political manoeuvre China is pushing in the South China Sea. It also continues to support North Korea, its increasingly pugnacious neighbour, while also strengthening its relations with various countries in the Latin America and Africa. Indeed, the way it is hunting down resources across the globe with little interest in social change with its partners has become a source of concern to Western economies unused to dealing with a government that’s aggressively pushing its way forward. Tensions have also been felt within East Asia, from Taiwan to Japan and ASEAN. The question is, what will we do?