Opinion | Beijing’s approach to South China Sea tensions: reduce now, resolve later

Chinese President Xi Jinping’s recent Southeast Asian tour has put the South China Sea – a simmering cauldron of territorial and maritime disputes – back into focus.

Amid joint statements brimming with diplomatic finesse, Beijing is sending a clear message: it seeks to manage tensions and not escalate them while keeping its strategic compass firmly pointed towards cooperation and regional stability.

The statements – issued alongside Hanoi and Kuala Lumpur – emphasise peaceful dispute resolution, adherence to international law including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and an aversion to escalations.

Against a backdrop of United States-Philippines military drills and lingering scepticism about Beijing’s intentions, Xi’s tour revealed a nuanced diplomatic playbook. Far from the caricature of an expansionist power, China is signalling its willingness to embrace international law, pragmatic dispute resolution and a vision of shared prosperity that respects Asean.

This is less starry-eyed optimism and more hard-nosed pragmatism. Despite overlapping maritime claims, China remains Vietnam’s top trading partner, and the two socialist neighbours are moving to expand cross-border rail links. Malaysia, meanwhile, is a linchpin in China’s Belt and Road Initiative, with projects like the East Coast Rail Link chugging along. It’s all part of Beijing’s message: don’t let the choppy waters of the South China Sea capsize the economic lifeboats.