China/South China Sea: China’s New Cruise to the Paracels: When Business is not just Business

Sep 17, 2014 | Hoang Do, International Policy Digest
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On September 2, China opened a new cruise route from Hainan province, transferring over 200 passengers to the Paracel Island. The state-owned Xinhua implied that China’s cruise ship would help discourage “unauthorized, and potentially disastrous, tours” to the Paracels. However, this is not a mere business act as it was portrayed by the Chinese media but a politics-driven move which unfortunately, might have a negative impact on its relationship with neighboring countries.