Prodding his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi to join the coalition of supporters of stiff new sanctions against Pyongyang was one of the main goals of Kerry's visit to Southeast and Eastern Asia, something that the US Secretary of State never fulfilled, according to Kommersant.
Kerry's talks with the authorities of Laos and Cambodia, which largely depend on China, also proved a disappointment for Washington, Kommersant said.
The newspaper recalled that during his visit, Kerry unsuccessfully tried to make the two countries oppose Beijing's actions in the South China Sea within the framework of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
Alexander Gabuyev, head of the Asia program at the Moscow Carnegie Center, attributed Kerry's flop to the lack of a clear-cut strategy related to the so-called shift to Asia, which was declared by US President Barack Obama in 2011.
Kommersant quoted Gabuyev as claiming that Washington was using double standards with respect to China, which finally led to the current situation where Beijing is flexing its military muscles in the South China Sea.
According to Alexander Gabuev, given that the clock is already ticking with respect to the US November presidential elections, Washington decided to just confirm the previous provisions of its policy, with breakthroughs thought to be expected during the next US president's term.
The conflict between Washington and Beijing over the situation in the South China Sea began on October 27, when the United States sent its missile destroyer USS Lassen on a patrol mission in the 12-mile zone of the South China Sea.
Shortly after, the Pentagon said that it plans to send more ships to the artificial islands, which were erected by China in the South China Sea. Beijing responded by warning of the risk of a war in the area.
