China Strives to Join the Big League

• China has been repeatedly calling for the establishment of a “new type of major country relationship” with the US. The CSIS think tank explains [PDF] what that’s supposed to mean, and the risks such phraseology entails.

• The US House Armed Services Committee had a hearing yesterday on China’s maritime disputes in the East and South China Seas. Peter Dutton, a professor at the US Naval War College, offered a good primer [PDF] on these issues, and like the Obama administration he believes the US should accede to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea to help open a path that “lies in the further advancement of the economic and security institutions, international law, and norms of acceptable behavior.” Hearing video.

• To show its military ramp-up can be a force of good in international waters, China is increasingly touting its anti-piracy efforts. That is a worthwhile development, but it is not quite making up for ongoing Chinese bullying of their neighbors.

• From Africa to the Caribbean, China has spent political capital and hard cash to thin down the list of countries officially recognizing Taiwan as a sovereign nation state. This presents a significant challenge for the island.

• Peter Layton, an associate professor at the US National Defense University, opines on Japan’s National Security Strategy, whose recent publication was primarily reactive to China’s rise:

In Japan’s case, the desire to cling to the status quo international order is understandable but may not be the best objective. Given a rising China, it may be more realistic to devise an NSS that attempts to deliberately construct a favourable new regional order. Embracing change may be difficult, but ultimately more sensible.”