Asean, US, other partners push sea code

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN – The United States joined the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) yesterday in pushing for early conclusion of a code of conduct in the South China Sea with China to ease tensions among claimant-countries and find means to resolve the dispute without “resorting to threats or the use of force.”

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has expressed serious concern over efforts to alter the status quo in the South China Sea through force and intimidation.

Kuni Sato, press secretary for Japan’s foreign ministry, said any issue should be settled peacefully.

Abe mentioned to President Aquino the importance of keeping unity among ASEAN members, he added.

Aquino agreed with Abe and the two leaders vowed to continue to collaborate on various issues, Sato said.

Other dialogue partners of ASEAN – including China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Russia and India – stressed during the 8th East Asia Summit the importance of maintaining peace and stability in the South China Sea.

They said the disputes must be settled through friendly consultations and negotiations in accordance with universally recognized principles of international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

In the first US-ASEAN summit participated in by Secretary of State John Kerry, the ASEAN and the US “welcomed the recent positive progress of dialogue on the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea.”

“We encouraged relevant parties to keep dialogue and consultations for the timely attainment of the COC,” the chairman’s statement of the first ASEAN-US summit read.

The ASEAN and its dialogue partners also welcomed the commitment of the parties involved in the dispute to fully and effectively implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC), including the guidelines for the implementation of the DOC and to work towards the adoption of a COC on the basis of consensus.

China has conflicting territorial claims with ASEAN members including the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam.

Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah, who turned over the chairmanship of ASEAN to Myanmar at the end of the summit, stressed the importance of ASEAN unity and centrality in its efforts to develop a COC.

In the joint statement of ASEAN and China issued after their 16th summit and the commemoration of the 10th anniversary of the ASEAN-China Strategic Partnership, the leaders expressed commitment to “work towards the conclusion” of a COC also on the basis of consensus through continuous negotiations.

They recognized the DOC crafted in 2002 as an important milestone document embodying the collective commitment of ASEAN member-states and China to promote freedom of navigation, peace, stability, mutual trust and peaceful settlement of disputes in accordance with international laws.