The issue of ownership of territories in the South China Sea has come to dominate ASEAN summit meetings in recent years.
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China has claimed virtually all of the South China Sea, a crucial waterway used for an estimated $5 trillion in annual trade.
Amid the recent brinkmanship in the South China Sea, the chairman’s statement said that ASEAN aimed to promote peace and security in the region and stressed the importance “of non-militarisation and self-restraint in the conduct of all activities, including land reclamation that could further complicate the situation and escalate tensions in the South China Sea”.
He reminded that China and the member-states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are discussing a code of conduct in the South China Sea.
She said that China also opposes any attempt by forces outside the region to manipulate the issue or stir up trouble, in an apparent reference to the United States which has termed the verdict of the tribunal as legally binding.
China pulled out all the stops to block any reference to the words “recent activities”, “serious concern”, “reclamation”, “militarization”, “loss of trust” and “need to respect legal processes”, but failed as all these phrases made it into the statement, said a senior USA administration official who requested anonymity to discuss diplomatic discussions.
China insisted repeatedly this week it was not undertaking any island-building activities at the shoal, and on Thursday repeated its rejection of the tribunal ruling.
“Only two nations mentioned the global arbitration ruling and insisted the ruling should be binding and implemented”, Liu said, without naming the United States or Japan.
Li heads the State Council of China, which is “the highest organ of state power” and “highest organ of state administration there”.
Referring to man-made islands built by China, Abe expressed hope that China will “make good on its leader’s statement that it will not militarize them”.
The July decision in the Hague – which rejected China’s claims to large swathes of the waters – is “a reality” Mr Turnbull said on Thursday.
However, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin said the discussion on the conflict at the event was “untimely and inappropriate”.
Indeed, a joint statement adopted after that summit did not mention the ruling.
The Philippines released photographs and a map showing what it said was an increased number of Chinese vessels near the disputed Scarborough Shoal, which China seized after a standoff in 2012.
Duterte said Li’s remarks represented one of his own principles and he said improving relations with China was his “active desire”, according to the statement.
The Philippines military this week released images of Chinese ships it said were capable of dredging sand around the Scarborough Shoal – a small but strategic reef and fertile fishing ground 130 miles (200 kilometers) west from the Philippine island of Luzon.
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Beijing this week insisted it had not started building at the shoal – a move that could lead to a military outpost just 230 kilometers from the main Philippine island, where U.S. forces are stationed.
