Malaysia went ahead to release it anyway, out of frustration over Chinese pressure on the grouping over the South China Sea disputes, according to an Asean official.
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After noting progress in ties between China and Asean, the withdrawn statement said: “But we also can not ignore what is happening in the South China Sea as it is an important issue in the relations and cooperation between Asean and China”.
An Indonesian Foreign Ministry spokesman said the initial statement was a “media guideline” which had been prepared for a planned press conference for the conclusion of the meeting.
China claims nearly the entire South China Sea which acts as a route to a huge chunk of global shipping passes.
Already some officials fear a repeat of the Asean Foreign Ministers meeting in Cambodia in 2012.
ASEAN-China relations and the East Sea issue dominated a special meeting between foreign ministers from ASEAN and China in Kunming, in China’s Yunnan Province, yesterday.
“We expressed our serious concerns over recent and ongoing developments, which have eroded trust and confidence, increased tensions and which may have the potential to undermine peace, security and stability in the South China Sea”, read a statement issued by the ASEAN following the meeting.
Instead China has been on something of a PR and diplomatic blitz in recent months, arguing that matters involving the sea should be resolved by the nations directly involved, in individual negotiations rather than through tribunals or with groups like ASEAN. Indonesia has recently encountered difficulties with illegal Chinese fishing activities in its exclusive economic zone, but does not acknowledge a dispute with China.
Singapore’s foreign ministry said in a statement late Tuesday that Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan “noted the serious concerns expressed by the Asean foreign ministers over the developments on the ground” in the South China Sea.
Bilateral negotiations should take into account not only territorial issues, but also the strategic importance of this region, said Vasily Kashin, senior fellow at the Center for Comprehensive European and International Studies of the Moscow-based Higher School of Economics (HSE), one of the top research universities in Russian Federation.
The dispute has been divisive for ASEAN.
An aerial photo taken on September 25, 2015 from a seaplane of Hainan Maritime Safety Administration shows cruise vessel Haixun 1103 heading to the Yacheng 13-1 drilling rig during a patrol in South China Sea.
For the Asean claimant countries, and especially for both the Philippines and Vietnam, the two countries which have pursued their claims most vigorously, the lack of a united Asean means that one viable solution has moved even further beyond reach.
However, it was retracted several hours later when Malaysia’s foreign ministry – which had disseminated the statement in the first place – said urgent amendments would be made.
That may be an attempt to retain some credibility over its repeated evocations of the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea signed between China and the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
Beijing has not officially commented, but state newspaper the Global Times on Wednesday published an editorial, mocking the Western media for inventing the communique.
Mr Wang said on Tuesday that China and Asean had reaffirmed the need to properly handle the South China Sea issue so as not to affect their friendship and cooperation. Thailand’s Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to questions on whether it planned its own statement.
What came out of the Kunming meeting, as we, in The Times, expected, was a pair of contradictory statements from one Asean member and the Asean secretariat.
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Washington has declared that the peaceful resolution of the disputes and freedom of navigation and overflight in the crucial waterway are a national interest.
