Beijing sinks South China Sea code of conduct

Beyond being a shrewd military strategist, the ancient Chinese philosopher Sun Tzu was also a great advocate of legal equality. In The Art of War, Sun Tzu’s sixth century BCE classic, he argued: ‘When it comes to establishing rules and regulations, everyone, high and low, should be treated alike.’ Regrettably, China’s foreign policy mandarins seem to regard this egalitarian lesson as irrelevant in the realm of international relations. In Beijing’s estimation, China is neither on an equal footing with other nations nor first among equals; it is rather a sui generis Middle Kingdom among mere minnows. Continue Story...