Sansha is now a City

In the front page today, China having set themselves up on one of the islands now accord it the status and privilege of a city.

The Chinese are winning even as ASEAN under the very able Indonesian FM struggles to limit the damage to its credibility.

I don't think we can be certain how all these will play out. In the short term tension will ratchet up. Longer term, anything is possible.

If the Chinese want to win with little risk they ought to bear in mind Deng's admonition of being patient. I think they are in too much of a hurry.

Meanwhile I bet many ST readers wonder why this news should be on the front page. We only care about what's happening at home.