U.S. National Security Adviser Susan Rice will urge Beijing next week to avoid escalation in the South China Sea when she makes the highest-level U.S. visit to China since an worldwide court rejected its sweeping claims to the strategic waterway.
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In recent days, the military has staged live-firing exercises in the area and stated it would begin regular aerial patrols over the sea.
After preparatory meetings of senior officials, the foreign ministers of the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations will gather Sunday for talks that are expected to focus on the economy, terrorism, security, cybersecurity and transnational cooperation. “They can not avoid it at such a major and worldwide event”, he said.
In an English-language statement issued via the official Xinhua news agency on Thursday, the ministry said the Republican platform contained “accusations about China on issues related to Taiwan, Tibet, trade and the South China Sea” and are an interference in China’s internal affairs. However, it’s far from clear whether its neighbors will see any outreach from China as honest. The dual approach envisages direct negotiations bilaterally between the parties concerned and maintenance of peace stability in the South China Region jointly by China and ASEAN.
The Philippines new president, Rodrigo Duterte, is on a tightrope.
The Philippines also remains in a tight spot despite the legal and moral victory it gained through the tribunal’s decision.
Chinese dredging vessels are purportedly seen in the waters around Mischief Reef in the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea in this still image from video taken by a P-8A Poseidon surveillance aircraft provided by the United States Navy May 21, 2015.
Indonesia has proposed that foreign ministers hold an informal meeting late on Saturday to thrash out an agreement.
“This is something that I told him was not consistent with our constitution and our national interest”, Yasay said.
The United States is also using quiet diplomacy to persuade claimants like the Philippines, Indonesia and Vietnam not to move aggressively to capitalise on The Hague ruling, US officials have said.
Had the decision been handed down during the time of Duterte’s predecessor, Benigno Aquino III, the government had planned to build pressure on China to comply by raising the issue in all worldwide arenas, including the U.N. General Assembly, according to Filipino diplomats at the time.
“Cambodia is unbelievable”, one diplomat said on condition of anonymity. “He would be lambasted at home and the opposition forces and his critics would use this to undermine him”. China has suggested it might be willing to have talks on joint development of resources, while setting aside the disputes over sovereignty.
The ASEAN ministerial meeting is likely to see a fierce battle between the Philippines, which has an ongoing territorial row with China, and countries close to China, such as Cambodia. The tribunal ruled that Scarborough is a traditional fishing area that’s open to Chinese and Filipinos, and that China violated the Filipinos’ maritime rights when it barred them from fishing there.
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“There is this sense of frustration among core ASEAN countries that China is essentially buying the loyalty of smaller ASEAN countries”, he added. That might help assuage members such as Vietnam and the Philippines that have long called for China to deal with ASEAN as a bloc.
