Want China Times
January 11, 2015
Olympic athletes take part in the New Year countdown alongside officials at the National Stadium in Beijing, Dec. 31, 2014. (Photo/CFP)
The territorial disputes over the South China Sea, a global economic slowdown, Sino-Japanese relations and relations with North Korea have been deemed the “four headaches for Chinese diplomacy in 2015,” according to Tokyo-based magazine the Diplomat.
Territorial disputes between China and the Philippines will likely come to a head in 2015, the magazine stated. Vietnam and the US have both weighed in on an international arbitration tribunal case filed by the Philippines over South China Sea territorial issues, leading to fears in China that it could be backed into a corner by its neighbors with US and Japanese backing. The fall in global oil prices, however, will make conflict over resource exploration in the region less likely, the report said.
China will also have to concern itself with a potential global economic slowdown. China’s growth in 2015 will likely be between 6.5% and 7%, a lot slower than recent years, the report said. Increased links between China’s economy and the global community increase the risks for China in this respect.
The third challenge for China in 2015 will be its relations with Japan. Tensions will be high, as this year marks the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II. China will no doubt use this to its advantage by restating its support for maintaining the post-war world order, while Japan will seek further easing of the restrictions on its military power, said the report. If a collision were to take place between a Japanese and Chinese ship or aircraft, things could escalate quickly.
Issues with North Korea are also unlikely to ease in 2015, as the country is unlikely to agree to six-party talks, the magazine stated.
