How will a Romney administration handle the tensions in the South China Sea?

ramones1986 · May 30, 2014

Inspired by the scenario "How Romney can handle the Ukraine crisis?":

If Mitt Romney won the 2012 presidential elections, how he will react to the tensions boiling between the countries in the South China Sea? What could be his policy/policies?

You can also include the tensions between China, Taiwan and Japan over Pinnacle Islands (the neutral name for Senkaku/Diaoyutai Islands).

Thanks!

ramones1986 · May 30, 2014

*eherm!*
Bumping...

Richard V · May 30, 2014

There might not be a crisis beyond the usual tensions. China is putting on a show against Obama's pivot which is widely seen as the beginning of formalizing containment against China. The best time to rock the boat is before it's built.

But in terms of what the pivot has accomplished it's surprisingly little compared with the rhetoric. Romney may not telegraph his intentions in such a theatrical way and China would put off creating problems for the fledging alliance for another time.

ramones1986 · May 31, 2014

Anyone else?

Cymraeg · May 31, 2014

ramones1986 said:
Anyone else?

I think it would all depend on if the Romney Unit could be rebooted properly after getting the White House patch to its software.

On a more serious note do we even know who the Romney Unit wanted as a) SecState and b) National Security Adviser?

Know Nothing · May 31, 2014

It's difficult to say. How does China react to the US being stuck on the ground in Syria?

Do they see the US drawn into another Middle Eastern quagmire as a potential opportunity, or do they see it as a sign that belligerence in the South China Sea will provoke a fight?

Francisco Cojuanco · May 31, 2014

Probably not that differently, though he might push for a more pro-Manila position, perhaps?

Kung Fucious · May 31, 2014

Cymraeg said:
I think it would all depend on if the Romney Unit could be rebooted properly after getting the White House patch to its software.

On a more serious note do we even know who the Romney Unit wanted as a) SecState and b) National Security Adviser?

The name I heard most bandied about for SecState was John Bolton, which is a fucking horrifying idea.