Asean-China forum pushes for trust

Experts offer S China Sea dispute solutions

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) and China need to work more closely to contribute to sustainability and security in the South China Sea, an Asean-China forum was told yesterday.

While working on every solution possible to solve the long-running territorial disputes in the South China Sea, academics on Asean-China affairs have urged Asean member states and the Chinese government to step up their commitments to security and sustainable development in the disputed waters.

Chulacheeb Chinwanno, a political science professor at Thammasat University, urged the Asean community and China to establish a multilateral fisheries agreement which he believed could be a key factor in easing tensions over claims in the South China Sea.

“A fisheries agreement will help [Asean and China] maintain stability and prosperity over the sea and adjacent areas,” Mr Chulacheeb said.

Despite the fact the South China Sea covers less than 3% of the earth’s surface, the sea is home to over 3,000 indigenous and migratory fish species and makes up about 12% of the global fish catch.

Mr Chulacheeb was speaking at a forum entitled: “Asean-China 25 years of Security and Prosperity: Looking Back, Looking Ahead”, organised yesterday by the Saranrom Institute of Foreign Affairs (Sifa) and the Chinese embassy in Bangkok.

Without a fisheries agreement, Mr Chulacheeb was certain the territorial issues will persist well into the future. Long term and ineffective management of fisheries could put the food supply of millions at risk, he said.

He added that the disappearance of multilateral governance on sustainable development of the South China Sea was one of the hidden causes which has worsened the sea dispute.

Prapat Thepchatree, director of Asean Studies from the same university, stressed that both sides should come up with a mechanism to build trust.

“The situation in the South China Sea is getting worse because of the lack of mutual trust among ourselves,” he said, adding that defence and military cooperation should be developed to put an end to the sea dispute.

“The ultimate goals of the Asean-China agenda are to have the South China Sea as a sea of peace, security and sustainable development,” said Phasporn Sangasubana, deputy director-general of the Foreign Ministry’s Department of Asean Affairs.

She also said practical areas of cooperation to deepen mutual benefits between the two sides included information sharing to deal with growing terror threats and cyber crime, development schemes for marine resources and maritime cooperation.

However, she said issues related to wellknown territorial disputes were slowing down maritime development.

“All issues have been touched on extensively in the past, but the South China Sea disputes are holding back progress on maritime connectivity,” she said.

“The consultation meeting to complete the draft framework on a Code of Conduct [CoC] for the South China Sea will be held by mid-2017 and we expect a good outcome,” she added.