The new US government would send China a clear signal that “first the island building stops, and second your access to those islands is also not going to be allowed,” he was reported to have said. “It is not clear which point, among the many he made, he will prioritise. But it is worth looking at his remarks that China should not be allowed access to the islands, since this is the most radical statement from the US side so far” the editorial said.
“China has enough determination and strength to make sure that his rabble rousing will not succeed. Unless Washington plans to wage a large-scale war in the South China Sea, any other approaches to prevent Chinese access to the islands will be foolish,” it said.
Another official newspaper, the China Daily said: “It remains a question whether Tillerson, former Exxon Mobil Corp chairman and chief executive, as secretary of state will get through Senate scrutiny.”
“If he is appointed, it remains to be seen to what extent his views against China will translate into US foreign policies. After all, what we heard at Wednesday’s confirmation hearing before the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee was essentially his personal policy inclinations,” it said.
