CHINA: ASEAN’S ‘GOOD NEIGHBOR, FRIEND'
China yesterday pledged to be a “good neighbor and friend” to the members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) amid the simmering dispute over the South China Sea. “China always sees Asean as a priority in our neighborhood diplomacy. We are committed to working with Asean, to be good neighbors, good friends, and good partners that always stand together, rain or shine,” Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said during the Asean Summit in Pasay City. China, Taiwan and four member-states of Asean--Brunei, Malaysia, Philippines, and Vietnam--have overlapping territorial claims over the South China Sea.
Amid the simmering dispute over the South China Sea, China on Monday, November 13, pledged to be a “good neighbor and friend” to the members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean).
The commitment was made by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang during the 20th Asean-China summit held at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City.
“China always sees Asean as a priority in our neighborhood diplomacy. We are committed to working with Asean, to be good neighbors, good friends, and good partners that always stand together, rain or shine,” Li said in his keynote speech.
China, Taiwan and four member-states of Asean - Brunei, Malay- sia, Philippines, and Vietnam - have overlapping territorial claims over the South China Sea.
In a press conference, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said the Asean maintained its stance to pursue “peaceful” negotiations with China to resolve sea disputes.
Roque said the regional bloc was also optimistic that China would cooperate in coming up with a legally-binding code of conduct in the South China Sea, which the Philippines prefer to call the West Philippine Sea.
“Asean reiterated that it would want a peaceful resolution to the West Philippine Sea issue, that they would want a code of conduct to be concluded at the latest,” he said.