The United States of America is using an unusual approach towards the issue on the disputed islands by persuading the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam and other Asian nations not to move intrusively to capitalize on the ruling which denied China’s claim.
“What we want is to quiet things down so these issues can be addressed rationally instead of emotionally,” said one official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe private diplomatic messages.
Some were sent through U.S. embassies abroad and foreign missions in Washington, while others were conveyed directly to top officials by Defense Secretary Ash Carter, Secretary of State John Kerry and other senior officials, the sources said.
“This is a blanket call for quiet, not some attempt to rally the region against China, which would play into a false narrative that the U.S. is leading a coalition to contain China,” the official added. Source here
Unfortunately, the attempt of appeasing the situation suffered a reversal when Taiwan prompted to send off warship to the area, with President Tsai Ing-wen telling sailors that their mission was to defend their maritime territory.
At the same time two civilian aircraft landed in the artificial islands in which a manner the State Department said that would raise the intensity in the disputed islands rather than declining it.
The US officials are expecting that somehow their diplomatic approach would be more successful in Indonesia, which they would want to send hundred of fishermen to the Natuna Islands to recognize their sovereign rights. And to the Philippines by fishermen are victims of harassment by Chinese vessels.
“I don’t think China wants a confrontation with the United States,” he told reporters. “They don’t mind a confrontation with a Vietnamese fishing boat, but they don’t want a confrontation with the United States.”
