VIETNAM USES SECURITY TALKS TO TURN SPOTLIGHT ON CHINESE EXPANSIONISM
Sights set on Beijing’s island-building programme in bold gesture at annual gathering of Asean foreign ministers
Vietnam has urged other South-East Asian nations to take a stronger stand against Chinese expansionism in the South China Sea, as a regional security forum began in Manila yesterday.
Before the annual gathering of foreign ministers from the 10-member Association of South-East Asian Nations, Vietnam made a bold play against China with suggested changes to a planned joint communique.
It set the stage for a fiery few days of diplomacy in the Philippine capital, with ministers from China, the US, Russia and North Korea to join Asean members and other Asia-Pacific partners for security talks from today.
The meetings will take place as the UN Security Council votes this weekend on a US-drafted resolution to toughen sanctions against North Korea to punish the government for its missile tests.
The US said it would also seek to build pressure on Pyongyang at the Asean regional forum.
After their own day of meetings yesterday, Asean foreign ministers expressed “grave concerns” over the North’s first two intercontinental ballistic missile tests that were carried out last month.
“These developments seriously threaten peace, security and stability in the region and the world,” they said.
But on the South China Sea dispute there was far less consensus, with Vietnam resisting efforts by the Philippines to placate Beijing.
Vietnam on Friday night sought to insert tough language into the foreign ministers’ statement.
Hanoi lobbied for Asean to express serious concern over “construction” in the sea, in reference to China’s building of artificial islands in the disputed waters in recent years.
Vietnam also wanted Asean to insist that a planned code of conduct for the sea with China be “legally binding”, which Beijing opposes.
The lobbying occurred as the Asean ministers held unscheduled and informal talks late on Friday night.
“The discussions were really hard. Vietnam is on its own to have stronger language on the South China Sea,” a diplomat said. “Cambodia and the Philippines are not keen to reflect that.”
China claims nearly all of the sea, including waters approaching the coasts of Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei.
Beijing has in recent years expanded its presence in the sea by building the artificial islands, which are capable of holding military bases.
The Philippines used to be one of the most vocal critic of Beijing’s expansionism, but under president Rodrigo Duterte it has sought to downplay the dispute in return for billions of dollars in Chinese investments and aid.
China has in recent years also successfully lobbied other Asean nations, particularly Cambodia, to support its diplomatic manoeuvring in the dispute.
Diplomats said Vietnam was likely to lose its battle to insert the strong language against China, with the Philippines as host wielding greater influence.
Asean is set to adopt a framework for a code of conduct with China, which is meant to pave the way for more concrete action.
But security analysts pointed out that the framework comes 15 years after negotiations on the issue first began, and China has used that time to cement its claims with the artificial islands.
Another pressing issue in Manila will be the growing threat of terrorism in the region.
The event is taking place as Philippine security forces battle ISIL-aligned gunmen who have since May been occupying parts of Marawi, the nation’s main Muslim city about 800 kilometres to the south of Manila.
US secretary of state Rex Tillerson is set to meet Mr Duterte at the event, with those talks expected to cover the Philippine president’s controversial drug war that has claimed thousands of lives.
The discussions were really hard. Vietnam is on its own with stronger language on the South China Sea. Cambodia and the Philippines are not keen to reflect that