alt Hacker NewsThe irony is much of the China-ASEA acrimony seems to be over China's aggressive territorial claims in the South China Sea.
Which was a dumb move because, given Chinese economic superiority, they could have just quietly negotiated 99 year military base leases and oil/gas extraction with the UN-recognized territorial owners.
Same outcome, less bad blood.
Seems a bit of an own goal to militarily force the issue and antagonize its neighbors, who it's trying to convert to its sphere of influence.
Yes the whole "wolf warrior diplomacy" stuff in the late 2010s was massively counterproductive for China and just pushed everyone else in the pacific back into the arms of the Americans.
The mask (if there ever was one) slipped and they revealed a lot of information they probably should have kept hidden about their intentions for no real reason.
However they did eventually realise this, they've completely changed tack and they're having a lot more success (helped by the US adopting their own failed policy).
You're right though, I'd imagine politicians in SEA countries haven't forgotten