'Sledgehammer' speech to crack US intransigence

Former Chinese State councilor Dai Bingguo's recent speech at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace touched a raw nerve in Washington D.C.

Taken out of context, some lines, such as his comment that the upcoming ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague "amounts to nothing more than a piece of paper", may be considered handy footnotes to China's alleged "assertiveness" in the South China Sea, or its supposed ambition to challenge US dominance.

"Sledgehammer-subtle PR" or not, unpleasant as they were to the ear, his blunt remarks were the former top diplomat's own way of delivering a message China has oft-repeated: Beijing will disregard the ruling and Washington's current approach to the South China Sea issue will not work.