‘1-year goal for South China Sea code of conduct unrealistic’

SINGAPORE: Asean is hoping to expedite negotiations on a code of conduct with China for the disputed South China Sea, but it isn’t realistic to expect an agreement within a year, Singapore’s defence minister said yesterday.

China and the 10-member Asean bloc adopted a negotiating framework on the code in August and had commenced talks on the code over the disputed and busy waterway largely controlled by China, but also claimed by some Asean states.

“We hope it will be expedited but it’s a very, very complex issue,” Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen said after a gathering of Asean defence chiefs.

“It’s a centuries-old dispute. Expecting (the code) in one year is just unrealistic.”

Asean and China have hailed the conclusion of the negotiating framework as a sign of progress.

However, the failure to outline as an initial goal the need to make the code legally binding raised doubts about the effectiveness of the pact.

Signing China up to a legally binding and enforceable code for the waterway has long been a goal for claimant members of Asean, some of whom have sparred for years over what they see as China’s disregard for their sovereign rights and its blocking of fishermen and energy exploration efforts.

Singapore’s Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan said on Tuesday some of his Asean colleagues had expressed concerns about activities by China in the disputed areas of the South China Sea, including land reclamations.