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"Malaysia does not want
to have too many warships
in the South China Sea and the Straits of
Malacca." Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad
stressed that
point repeatedly in recent interviews
and in his speech at the Future of
Asia
conference in Tokyo. "We know we cannot
deny China access to
the seas in Southeast Asia,
because the seas there are a passage between
the
East and West," he said, before adding significantly:
"It
should remain as such, not controlled by any
nation, neither America nor
China."
For the last several months, global interest in Asian
security has been
concentrated on the Korean Peninsula.
But at the same time, China has
been building up its presence in the South China Sea.
In this issue of the Nikkei Asian Review, we look
at China's growing
network of military facilities
on islands and reefs in the area, and how
countries
with interests in the South China Sea -- including
the
Philippines, Vietnam and the U.S. -- are reacting.
In a separate story,
we examine how America's
shifting policy in recent months may be
alienating
its Asian allies, and what that means for the balance
of power
in the region.
We hope you enjoy reading the Nikkei Asian Review.
Yours sincerely
Sonoko Watanabe
Editor-in-chief
Nikkei Asian Review
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