China, ASEAN agree to begin crafting South China Sea code

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and China have finally agreed to start negotiations for the Code of Conduct (COC) to ease the tension in the disputed South China Sea.

The agreement on the crafting the rules governing concerned parties involved in the disputed territory was reached during the ASEAN-China Summit chaired by President Duterte at the Philippine International Convention Center.

“The President has expressed optimism about the

future direction of ASEAN-China dialogue relations based on the substantive discussions during the ASEAN-China Summit this afternoon,” Presidential spokesman Harry Roque Jr. said after the summit talks.

“One of the outcomes of the meetings is to commence the negotiations on a substantive and effective Code of Conduct in the South China Sea after concluding Framework Agreement on Code of Conduct,” he added.

Roque said ASEAN-China Summit resulted in the issuance of the following documents:

• ASEAN-China Joint Statement on Comprehensively Strengthening Effective Anti-Corruption Cooperation;

• ASEAN-China Leaders’ Statement on Tourism Cooperation; and

• Joint Statement between China and ASEAN on Further Deepening the Cooperation of Infrastructure Connectivity

Earlier, President Duterte called on China to agree on the crafting of the COC to ease the tension in the disputed waters. Duterte also raised the concern of the regional bloc about China’s increased military buildup in the contested territory.

Following talks with Duterte, Chinese President Xi Jinping has committed to support negotiations for the South China Sea COC to reduce the conflict among the claimant nations. Xi also assured Duterte that China respects the freedom of navigation principle in the regional waters.

China claims most parts of the South China Sea using the nine dash line concept. Taiwan and four ASEAN nations – Malaysia, Vietnam, the Philippines and Brunei – have competing claims in the area.

China, ASEAN friendship China also committed to sustain its “good” friendship and partnership with the ASEAN, promising to “stand together, rain or shine.”

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang gave the assurance to President Duterte and other leaders of the regional bloc.

“China always sees ASEAN as a priority in our neighborhood diplomacy,” Premier Li said in his remarks.

“We are committed to work with ASEAN to be the good neighbors, good friends, and good partners that always stand together, rain or shine,” he added.

He said China is also committed to working with ASEAN “to build a community of shared future featuring common ideas, common prosperity and a common responsibility.”

Of the regional bloc’s dialogue partners, Li pointed out that China-ASEAN relations are “the most dynamic and the most substantive.”

He said China was the first to accede to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia. It was also the first to establish strategic partnership with ASEAN and the first to launch free trade agreement negotiations with the organization.

“It is fair to say that friendly relations between China and ASEAN is a consensus of all ASEAN countries,” he said.

He also hailed the ASEAN’s “remarkable progress and achievements” in the past 50 years. “We can also see what ASEAN will be like 50 years or 20 years or 50 years from today and will be even greater glorious achievements in the decades to come,” he added.

President Duterte said the ASEANChina Summit was another opportunity to assess the current status and chart the future direction of the “strategic partnership.”

“I look forward to having a fruitful and productive meeting that shall demonstrate our common resolve of mutual understanding toward the realization of our shared goals and aspiration,” said Duterte, this year’s ASEAN chairman.

“I’m also confident that this meeting will pave way to even greater ASEANChina cooperation as we reach another milestone in 2018, which is the 15th anniversary of the elevation of the ASEAN-China dialogue partnership into a strategic partnership,” he added.

Peace, security of region At the ASEAN Summit’s formal opening on Monday, Duterte made no mention of the South China Sea and pointed to other triggers for a threat of violence in the region.

“Terrorism and violent extremism endanger the peace, stability, and security of our region because these threats know no boundary,” he said.

“Piracy and armed robbery in the seas put a dent on our growth and disrupt the stability of both regional and global commerce. The menace of illegal drug trade continues to endanger the very fabric of our society.

“These and other issues are high on the agenda of our meeting.”

Duterte has grown closer to China since he took office last year.

President Xi’s assurance

On Sunday, Vietnam’s state television said Chinese President Xi Jinping told Vietnam’s General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong he wanted to work with Southeast Asian nations on a COC in the sea. China’s Xinhua news agency said China and Vietnam had agreed to properly handle maritime issues and strive to maintain peace and stability.

Duterte meets Turnbull

Late Sunday after the glitzy gala dinner, President Duterte discussed the maritime dispute over the South China Sea during his bilateral talks with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.

During their meeting, Duterte thanked Turnbull for coming to the Philippines and having the bilateral talk with him. He also assured the Prime Minister of the strong relations between the two countries.

But Duterte then shifted to tell Turnbull about his bilateral talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the sidelines of the 2017 APEC Summit in Da Nang, Vietnam Saturday.

The President also told Turnbull how Xi seemed to be surprised by Duterte’s new stand on the South China Sea issue and how the Chinese President downplayed the militarization in the disputed waters.

“We’re also concerned about what’s happening in the South China Sea – the continued buildup of military installations, and in our bilateral last night with Mr. Xi Jinping, I told the President our misgivings,” Duterte told Turnbull.

The media was ushered out of the venue before they could hear the response of the Australian Prime Minister.

According to Malacañang, other issues discussed by Duterte and Turnbull included the crafting of a binding COC, extremism, illegal drugs as well as trade and commerce.

Turnbull praises Duterte

Turnbull also reportedly praised Duterte for his stance on the South China Sea issue and for how the government handled the recently concluded war in Marawi City, Lanao del Sur, against Daesh-inspired terrorists.

“Sea piracy in the Sulu Sea was also tackled with both leaders promising greater security cooperation,” Malacañang said in a statement.

“They also talked about regional trade, with the Australian leader mentioning his country’s huge potential especially because of its enormous market,” the Palace statement said.

Australia, along with Japan and the United States, in August this year voiced their strong opposition to coercive unilateral actions that could “alter the status quo and increase tensions.”

The three countries urged both China and the Philippines to abide by last year’s international arbitration ruling, which invalidated China’s claim to almost the entire South China Sea.

The code framework is an outline for China and the ASEAN’s consultations on a formal agreement. (With reports from Reuters and AP)