Derry also noted that the governments of ASEAN member states have not planned any meeting yet to discuss ASEANs stand on the United Nations arbitration tribunals ruling on the South China Sea dispute. From serious concerns to serious incongruity, the Asean is biblically “like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind”.
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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.
AS expected, the People’s Republic of China’s ever-loyal satrap Cambodia did an excellent job for its master. “The Inquirer’s editorial, “Asean fiasco” (Opinion, 6/17/16), concludes, “… the lack of a united Asean means that one viable solution has moved even further beyond reach”.
The images from Airbus Defence and Space showed a battery of HQ-9 missiles was removed from Woody Island before the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague rejected Beijing’s claims over the South China Sea, Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post quoted IHS Janes Defence magazine as reporting citing satellite images.
Chinese pressure was blamed last month for an embarrassing U-turn by the regional bloc as members suddenly disowned an apparent joint statement released by Malaysia that condemned Beijing’s aggression in the seas.
That statement had expressed alarm over Beijing’s activities in the South China Sea.
“Its absolute priority is the business of getting on with economic development”, she said. Laos, which has assumed the rotating chairmanship of ASEAN this year, is a staunch China ally and is unlikely to allow an open slap by other regional colleagues on a trusted friend. Above all the ruling has repudiated the Chinese claims in the nine dash line, which is the main cause of dispute. The farce of compulsory arbitration will not only worsen the bilateral relations with China, but also has no help on the resolution of the territorial disputes and maritime jurisdiction disputes.
Though some observers doubt that China could credibly keep out the US’ mature military, the US Naval Institute recent published an article stating that because of China’s improved fighters and bombers, as well as its burgeoning network of radar outposts in the South China Sea, it pretty much could establish such a zone. On hopes that China would at least give up her aggressive actions in South China Sea.
Wu said that the South China Sea is related to China’s sovereignty, security and development interests.
Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio of the Philippine Supreme Court, for his part, explained on Friday that negotiations with China can be divided into two parts.
The foreign ministers of China and the Philippines are likely to hold separate bilateral meetings in Vientiane this coming week.
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The meeting of ASEAN foreign ministers in Laos may signal whether the Philippines will stick with a low-key and non-confrontational approach despite its rejection of China’s condition for talks.
