Sino-American ties would benefit from less jingoism

AMERICAN politicians are preparing for the 2016 presidential election. So it is not surprising that they are doing what they think would help them win more votes next year - engaging in China bashing.

Hence New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, who has yet to announce that he was running for the presidency, sounded like a Republican presidential nominee last week when he called for a "military approach" against China's activity in the South China Sea.

Washington needed to let the Chinese know "there are limits to what they're allowed to do" and send "that signal to the Chinese very clearly that we do not acknowledge nor will we respect their claims to those areas", Governor Christie said.