DFA tries to pitch ASEAN’s soft stance
No one among Southeast Asia’s leaders “strongly” pushed to discuss China’s land reclamation and military constructions in the South China Sea when they met in Manila last weekend, a Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs official said yesterday. in defending the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ position on the long-simmering dispute.
Southeast Asian leaders did not “strongly” push to discuss China’s loss on the arbitral ruling on the South China Sea, as well as its land reclamation and militarization in the contested waters, during the regional bloc’s summit in Manila over the weekend, a Foreign Affairs official said.
Foreign Affairs executive director Zaldy Patron said the leaders of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) merely emphasized the “improving cooperation” between them and China as they both seek to finish the framework on the code of conduct (COC) in the South China Sea by the middle of this year.
“There was no one who strongly pushed or mentioned anything about land reclamation and militarization, [as well as the arbitral ruling],” Patron told a press conference.
“On the other hand, the (Asean) leaders highlighted the improving relations between the Asean member-states or Asean and China, and the need to conclude framework for the code of conduct. So that was the emphasis given,” he added.
Patron’s statement came after the official Asean chairman’s message made no mention about the Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration’s decision on the resource-rich South China Sea, and China’s continuing reclamation and militarization activities in the disputed island.
A phrase citing Asean leaders “serious concerns” over “reclamation and militarization that may complicate the situation” on the South China Sea has been removed at the final joint statement of Asean leaders.
Patron said no consensus had been reached to have the two issues reflected in the Asean joint statement.
He also denied that China attempted to influence the Asean heads of states to ensure that the international court’s ruling invalidating its “historic rights” to the South China Sea and the non-rec- lamation and non-militarization activities would be removed from the joint statement.
Patron said the regional bloc’s leaders just expressed optimism that there will be a “good progress” as the COC framework in the contested waters is expected to be completed by the middle of this year.
“This is very different, whereas before, China and Asean member-states do not even want to start discussion on the framework on the code of conduct. But under the Philippine chairmanship, we have seen a lot of movements in the discussion and China has already made announcement that it’s also supportive of having a framework of the COC,” Patron said.