VIENTIANE: Foreign ministers from the Association of Southeast Asia
Nations (ASEAN) and China reaffirmed their commitment to the full
implementation of the Declaration on the Code of Conduct (DOC), and "to
the freedom of navigation in and overflight above the South China Sea".
The joint statement was released on Monday (Jul 25).
It added: "The Parties concerned undertake to resolve their
territorial and jurisdictional disputes by peaceful means, without resorting to
the threat or use of force, through friendly consultations and negotiations by
sovereign states directly concerned, in accordance with universally recognised
principles of international law, including the 1982 UNCLOS."
They also agreed to "undertake self-restraint in the conduct of
activities that would complicate or escalate disputes and affect peace and
stability" in the region.
The statement added that this includes "refraining from action of
inhabiting on the presently uninhabited islands, reefs, shoals, cays and other
features".
The statement made no mention of the Jul 12 decision on the South China
Sea by the international tribunal at the Hague that went against China.
Southeast Asian nations overcame days of deadlock when the Philippines
dropped a request for their joint statement to mention a landmark legal ruling
on the South China Sea, officials said, after objections from Cambodia.
Beijing publicly thanked Cambodia for supporting its stance on maritime
disputes, a position which threw the regional block's weekend meeting in the
Laos capital of Vientiane into disarray.
Calling for bilateral discussions, Cambodia opposed the wording on the
ruling, diplomats said.
Manila agreed to drop the reference to the ruling in the communique,
one ASEAN diplomat said on Monday, in an effort to prevent the disagreement
leading to the group failing to issue a statement.
The communique referred instead to the need to find peaceful
resolutions to disputes in the South China Sea in accordance with international
law, including the United Nations' law of the sea, to which the court ruling
referred.
"We remain seriously concerned about recent and ongoing
developments and took note of the concerns expressed by some ministers on the
land reclamations and escalation of activities in the area, which have eroded
trust and confidence, increased tensions and may undermine peace, security and
stability in the region," the ASEAN communique said.
Cambodia's position was the right one and would safeguard unity of
ASEAN and cooperation with China, China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi told
Cambodia's Foreign Minister Prak Sokhon, according to a statement posted on
China's Foreign Ministry website early on Monday.
Post a Comment