US accused of exploiting South China Sea disputes to intervene in ASEAN region
Russian presidential adviser Anton Kobyakov claims Washington is using territorial tensions to increase its military presence in Southeast Asia.
Quick Look
Russian presidential adviser Anton Kobyakov claims the US is exploiting South China Sea territorial disputes between China and ASEAN nations to gain military influence, warning regional states against inviting foreign intervention.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
Several ASEAN countries, including the Philippines and Vietnam, maintain territorial disputes with China in the South China Sea.
MOSCOW, August 29. /TASS/. The United States is seeking to exploit territorial disputes between China and several ASEAN countries in the South China Sea, Anton Kobyakov, an adviser to the Russian president and executive secretary of the Eastern Economic Forum’s organizing committee, told TASS ahead of the forum.
"A number of ASEAN countries - primarily the Philippines and Vietnam, and to a lesser extent Brunei and Malaysia - have territorial disputes with China in the South China Sea. Washington is trying to drive a wedge into these tensions by offering ostensible ‘assistance’ in ensuring security," he said.
Kobyakov cited Italian philosopher Niccolo Machiavelli, who wrote in The Prince that inviting a foreign "prince" onto one’s territory is a grave mistake because "then you won’t be able to smoke him out."
"Therefore, ASEAN countries are confident that they can resolve their problems at the regional level, without outside assistance and without exposing Southeast Asia to the risks of military confrontation and US military intervention, as was the case during the Vietnam War," he said.
Open Questions
- Will ASEAN countries formally respond to these claims?
- How will the US respond to these allegations?
