DIPLOMATIC DESPATCHES: Locking horns over East Asia
IT is not often that a serving head of a diplomatic mission and a former envoy exchange words in print. And so, what appeared to be a spat was met with some degree of surprise by members of the diplomatic community in Kuala Lumpur last month.
It was essentially a divergence of views between the two on the European Union’s ties, or lack of it, with East Asia.
The first shot was fired by former Singapore ambassador to Cambodia, Verghese Mathews, who felt that the EU attitude towards East Asia was reactive and left much to be desired.
He felt the EU was not displaying the warmth— political, economic and otherwise — that it should towards this region.
More: nst.com.my
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