Regarding Michael Richardson's June 20 article, "South China Sea is not Shangri-La": If you imagine the world in the image of the white man, you will naturally come to the conclusion that China is out to conquer the world. But this is the white man's way.
The Chinese, at the height of their maritime and military supremacy, never ventured out of their traditional boundaries unless threatened by external forces. This has been the case dynasty after dynasty. The West, on the other hand, has sought to put everything at its disposal. It takes oil forcibly from Iraq, it takes the lives of Afghani and Pakistani civilians, it enslaved people from Africa, and it exploited the Chinese.
History to this day is one of white men's greed. Until the day that people like Richardson learn to reflect introspectively and change their ways, the world will never see peace.
The opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are the writer's own and do not necessarily reflect the policies of The Japan Times.