Stop allowing South China Sea spat to poison the waters when there are in fact many areas of potential cooperation for mutual benefit
For Manila to make the sea row front and centre of ties is a tragedy of its foreign policy. For China to see its smaller neighbour as a mere pawn in its great power competition with Washington is a recipe for misunderstanding; it lets down Beijing’s neighbourhood diplomacy.
Other Southeast Asian coastal states with similar concerns assign less publicity to their sea rows and employ more effective strategies. Manila and Beijing should do better diplomacy.
