China has upset many countries in the Asia-Pacific region with its release of a new official map that lays claim to most of the South China Sea, as well as to contested parts of India and Russia, and official objections continue to mount. What is the map, and why is it upsetting people so much?

It seems significant, then, that Beijing chose to release the map on the heels of a late August meeting of the BRICS nations — Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa – and just before China is to participate in top-level meetings of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the Group of 20 rich and developing nations.

In releasing the map now, Beijing is widely seen as signaling it has no intention of backing down on any of its claims and is making sure that its positions are fresh in the minds of other countries in the region.

    • JohnDClay@sh.itjust.works
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      1 year ago

      Maybe I’m missing something, but I don’t see any territories that have been incorporated into the US since WWII. The military interventions and soft power stuff hasn’t added any territory.

      • TokenBoomer@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        If you’re okay with military interventions and soft power; surely you’re okay, or at least ambivalent, with China doing the same thing.

        • JohnDClay@sh.itjust.works
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          1 year ago

          It depends entirely on the reason. I am not universally opposed to military intervention. But I think the US has wrongfully intervened before as well. It all depends on whether it’s a just war.

        • FaeDrifter@midwest.social
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          1 year ago

          It’s so weird, you claimed that China and America are doing the same thing, someone just tells you why you’re wrong, and you just pivot your position around to something different without acknowledging what just happened.

          Is your brain okay?

          • Franzia
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            1 year ago

            For all its flaws and horrible fuckups, I’m pretty sure the USA has never organized genocide

            is this… is this bait? The USA has organized a handful of genocides.

          • TokenBoomer@lemmy.world
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            1 year ago

            How do you know of life in China? Have you lived there? Your sources are from Western media that has a vested interest in making China the bad guy. Maybe they are. But I’m gonna remain skeptical. You should to.