ASEAN’s dilemma in the South China Sea
Despite a desire for peace in the South China Sea, ASEAN’s history and the domestic views of its member states may hold it back from usefully contributing to resolving the dispute, Aristyo Rizka Darmawan writes. Since it was established in 1967, Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has been a cornerstone of Southeast Asian countries’ foreign policy, and the organisation was crucial in securing peace and security during the Cold War. Moreover, before the establishment of ASEAN, there was much more conflict between Southeast Asian countries, making the region fragile, and its establishment has led to a more prosperous and peaceful region. Indeed, former President of the United Nations Security Council Kishore Mahbubani even argued that ASEAN deserved to be awarded a Nobel Peace Prize for what it has done in maintaining peace and security in the region. But today, this peace may be under threat. Many Southeast Asian countries face a huge test for their peace and security in the form of the South China Sea dispute, which might be one of the most complicated issues ASEAN has faced. Above all, the question the region faces is to what extent ASEAN, as a regional organisation, can have a role in resolving the South China Sea dispute. Regretfully, ASEAN alone has little sway over how things will turn out in the South China Sea. Of course, it must be noted that the South China Sea dispute is not an intra-ASEAN conflict. It is a conflict involving some ASEAN maritime member states, namely Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei, and the Philippines, but the primary claimant, China, is not an ASEAN member state More on this:Is American assertiveness in the South China Sea good for Indonesia? Even though Indonesia is not a party to the dispute, it has a strong interest in the dispute and has been involved in many escalations and confrontations along China’s illegally claimed nine-dash line in the South China Sea.
India targets net-zero carbon emissions by 2070, says Modi
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China's carbon emissions are vast and growing, dwarfing those of other countries. Experts agree that without big reductions in China's emissions, the world cannot win the fight against climate change. In 2020, China's President Xi Jinping said his country would aim for its emissions to reach their highest point before 2030 and for carbon neutrality before 2060. His statement has now been confirmed as China's official position ahead of the COP26 global climate summit in Glasgow. But China has not said exactly how these goals will be achieved.
Why China's climate policy matters to us all
China's carbon emissions are vast and growing, dwarfing those of other countries. Experts agree that without big reductions in China's emissions, the world cannot win the fight against climate change. In 2020, China's President Xi Jinping said his country would aim for its emissions to reach their highest point before 2030 and for carbon neutrality before 2060. His statement has now been confirmed as China's official position ahead of the COP26 global climate summit in Glasgow. But China has not said exactly how these goals will be achieved.
Deliver on promises, developing world tells rich at climate talks
A crucial U.N. conference heard calls on its first day for the world's major economies to keep their promises of financial help to address the climate crisis, while big polluters India and Brazil made new commitments to cut emissions. World leaders, environmental experts and activists all pleaded for decisive action to halt the global warming which threatens the future of the planet at the start of the two-week COP26 summit in the Scottish city of Glasgow on Monday. The task facing negotiators was made even more daunting by the failure of the Group of 20 major industrial nations to agree ambitious new commitments at the weekend.