The Bullies of Beijing: China’s Image Problem -- Minxin Pei, The Diplomat
Actions by the People's Republic -- intentional or not -- have created the worst regional environment for China since Tiananmen.
One of the elementary rules of foreign policy is when you are in a hole, stop digging. But judging by their recent behavior, Beijing’s foreign policy mandarins and national security establishment are clearly in violation of this rule. Despite the diplomat heat China has received for its tough stance on territorial disputes in recent months, the Chinese Foreign Ministry apparently seemed to believe that it could strengthen Chinese claims symbolically by issuing a new passport containing a map that claims the disputed maritime areas in the South China Sea and the contested territories along the Sino-Indian border. The reaction was predictable. Southeast Asian countries, particularly Vietnam and the Philippines, protested loudly. India retaliated by promising to stamp visas containing its own map on Chinese passports.
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My Comment: China has certainly been asserting itself in Asian affairs this past few years. My prediction .... in order to not lose face the Chinese will start to act on their demands .... expect tensions to continue to increase and China`s image problem will become the least of everyone`s concerns.