Are China’s South China Sea Assurances Worth Anything?

Ask the Philippines, for instance

By: Dennis Ignatius

The latest edition of the China Standard Map – which reiterates China’s claims to almost all of the South China Sea including parts of Malaysia – has rightly increased concerns across the region.

Responding to these concerns, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim indicated that he had been assured by Chinese Premier Li Qiang – in a “clear and c…