THE recent meeting of foreign ministers in the Laotian capital of Vientiane vividly illustrates how irrelevant the Association of Southeast Asian Nations has become as a regional bloc that protects its members’ interests.
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“The parties to this case are required to comply with the award”, the statement read, while underlining the “rule of law”.
The Philippines and Vietnam both wanted the ruling, which denied China’s sweeping claims in the strategic seaway that channels more than $5 trillion in global trade each year, and a call to respect worldwide maritime law to feature in the communique.
Japan wants China to accept the decision as final and binding.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, attends the 23rd Asean Regional retreat meeting in Vientiane, Laos, Tuesday, July 26, 2016. “And if the prescription is wrong it will not help cure any disease”.
On Tuesday, the Philippine Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the so-called Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) which allows for a rotation of USA troops on Philippine bases and other enhanced military cooperation. However, Laos and Cambodia prefer to side with their giant neighbor.
Speaking to reporters on a conference call, a senior USA administration official said at the end of a visit to China by National Security Adviser Susan Rice that she had emphasized all parties should take steps to reduce tensions and use the ruling to reinvigorate regional diplomacy.
While in a meeting with Mr Kishida, he urged Japan, which is not a claimant in the South China Sea disputes, to “avoid interfering in and hyping up the maritime spats”, according to state-run news agency Xinhua.
Instead, the nations adopted a statement expressing concern about developments in the waters that made no mention of a landmark July 12 global arbitration panel ruling in a dispute between the Philippines and China that said Beijing’s claims in the South China Sea were illegal.
Yasay on Wednesday, July 27, confirmed that he “vigorously” pushed to include the Hague ruling in the ASEAN joint communiqué.
In January 2013, Manila brought a suit before the PCA saying China – which had begun expanding into several areas of the South China Sea – was occupying territory that was part of the Philippines exclusive economic zone.
Lu said China urges relevant countries to respect the efforts of the directly-concerned parties to safeguard peace and stability in the South China Sea, and do right things to serve peace, stability and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region.
“We hope to see a process that will narrow the geographic scope of the maritime disputes, set standards for behavior in contested areas, lead to mutually acceptable solutions, perhaps even a series of confidence-building steps”, he said.
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Ahead of the Asean Foreign Minister’s Meeting, during which many believed a joint-Asean statement on the South China Sea would be developed, Prime Minister Hun Sen announced that Cambodia would receive nearly $600 million in aid from China within a three-year timeframe to be used for the “development” of the Kingdom’s electoral process, health sector and clean water infrastructure.
