Expert: Sea row gives US chance to revive Asia-Pacific alliance

MANILA, Philippines — Contending claims over much of East and South China Sea have given the United States a chance to reignite its "alliance system" in the Asia-Pacific and position to neutralize China's growing maritime clout, an Australian security expert said.

International security Professor Alan Dupont from the University of New South Wales said that China's adamant stance over the "serious" sea disputes has challenged the US' "pre-eminence" in the western Pacific.

"Five of 10 Southeast Asian states—Vietnam, The Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei—have serious or potentially serious maritime disputes with China, along with Japan and the two Koreas. If Taiwan is included, this adds up to more than half the polities in East Asia," Dupont said in a  statement Monday.

"China's patent unwillingness to accommodate other countries' equally strong claims to the maritime features and resources that China covets has provided the opportunity for the US to reinvigorate its alliance system in East Asia and more effectively balance against China," he added.

Citing official sources, the STAR reported on Sunday that the US is forging a new "security architecture" in the Asia-Pacific with its treaty allies including the Philippines, Australia and Japan.

Read: US forming new security alliance in Asia-Pacific

The new alliance, part of the American President Barack Obama's pivot in the region, does not involve re-establishment of US bases as this is too expensive for Washington.

Possible parties in the new arrangement may include Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia--countries the US has been said to be wooing.

Dupont said that China's rival claimants--possible in a US-led alliance--may isolate the Asian powerhouse, which did not see the US rebalancing coming.

"Beijing seems to believe that with the US distracted and preoccupied by domestic and other foreign policy challenges, a geopolitical full court press of its smaller and weaker neighbours will deliver the resources, territory and regional pre-eminence that are its rightful patrimony," Dupont said.

He also called China's sweeping claims over the disputed sea a "serious miscalculation" that may backfire.

"Beijing faces increasing regional isolation as other states line up to hedge against a China whose rise is beginning to look more threatening than benign," the academic continued.

Dupont also believes that Australia may necessary enter any future conflict in the region "because virtually all our core defense and economic interests are engaged."

"Hence the prospect of heightened strategic competition in this maritime domain will clearly shape future strategy."

Race to form an alliance?

Chinese President Xi Jinping, meanwhile, spoke of a "need" to establish China's "new regional security cooperation architecture" in a meeting with the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-building measures in Asia (CICA) in Shanghai last week.

He also told the 24-member CICA with political leaders from Korea, Thailand, Turkey, Russia and Sri Lanka to build a "security dialogue cooperation platform" and should "establish a defense consultation mechanism." Xi, however, did not refer to the South China Sea row.

Xi's proposal was seen as Beijing's latest effort to build up groups of Asian or developing governments to offset the influence of the US and limit its role in the region.