By Sara Fabunan
Manila Standard Today
Manila Standard Today
China’s top diplomat on Saturday said Beijing was willing to ease the tension over the handling of territorial disputes in the South China Sea and work within the framework of the Declaration of the Conduct of Parties.
In a joint conference with his Indonesian counterpart Marty Natalegawa on Friday, China’s Foreign Minister Yang Jeichi also hinted that Beijing would eventually agree on a legally-binding Code of Conduct on the “basis of consensus.”
“China is willing to work with Indonesia and other ASEAN members to fully and effectively implement the Declaration of Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, build mutual trust, promote cooperation, maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea and work, in accordance with the principles and spirits of the Declaration of Conduct of Parties and on the basis of consensus, toward the eventual adoption of a Code of Conduct.”
Yang began his three-nation visit with a two-day stopover in Jakarta, in response to Natelagawas’ effort to mediate between his fellow ASEAN members and Beijing.
After his visit to Indonesia, Yang will travel to Malaysia and Beijing to cap his ASEAN diplomatic blitz, but has curiously left out Manila and Hanoi in his itinerary.
The Philippines and Vietnam had clashed with China over ownership of some of the islands in the South China Sea and Beijing’s plan to partner with foreign companies on oil exploration projects in the disputed islands.
“I’m assured very much that our diplomacy is very much on track,” Natalegawa said. “We still have the Declaration on Conduct to implement and the Code of Conduct to work toward.”
The DOC was created to discourage aggressive acts that might spark clashes, but it has not been fully implemented.
The ASEAN has already come up with a draft for the legally-binding COC and is just waiting for Beijing to agree on a date for discussion.
The discussion will be led by Cambodia, which chairs this year’s ASEAN.
“We are ready to present it. We’re just waiting when China is ready to discuss this with the ASEAN,” said Philippine Foreign Affairs spokesman Raul Hernandez on Friday.
Hernandez said that the draft of the multilateral code of conduct, which the ASEAN members failed to approve during the 45th ASEAN Foreign Ministerial Meeting in Phnom Penh last month, was created within the framework of the DOC.
Yang said that his visit to ASEAN countries aims to promote a more in-depth strategic partnership between China and the 10-member ASEAN and to enhance cooperation on international and regional affairs.
The drafting of Code of Conduct and the implementation of the DOC was contained in the six-point-principle that the ASEAN had signed recently after it failed to issue a joint communiqué at the close of its ministerial conference.
It was Natalegawa who played a key role in convincing his counterparts in the region to agree on the six-point principle.
Hernandez, however, said that the Philippines is still exploring the possibility of bringing the dispute before the United Nation Convention on the Law of the Sea or Unclos. With AP
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China’s diplomatic blitz leaves out PH, Vietnam
Source: Manila Standard Today
China’s Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi has embarked on a three-nation swing in South East Asia where he is expected to discuss the South China Sea issue.
In a report by the China Daily, Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said Yang would pay “official visits” to Indonesia, Brunei and Malaysia on Aug. 9-13 at the invitation of his counterparts from those countries.
Curiously, the diplomatic blitz does not include stopovers in Hanoi and Manila, which Beijing has accused of challenging its sovereignty over the South China Sea islands.
Chinese experts believe that Yang will seek understanding from the island nations on the territorial issue, including Indonesia which plays a leading mediating role in the talks among the Association of Southeast Asian Nations members.
Indonesia mediated on the South China Sea dispute after the foreign ministers of the 10-member Asean last month failed to issue a joint communique at their meeting in Phnom Penh because they could not agree on a paragraph on the territorial disputes.
Natalegawa then embarked on a 36-hour “shuttle diplomacy” tour of the Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia and Singapore that resulted in the Asean member states agreeing on a joint statement outlining Asean’s six key principles on the issue.
On Wednesday, Natalegawa warned of a “risk of further tensions” in the South China Sea if a “collective and common approach” was not soon agreed on. He was referring to a code of conduct on the South China Sea designed to reduce tensions.
He said he hoped to compare notes on the South China Sea with Yang during his visit.
Qin said Yang would also focus on building better bilateral relations during the trip as Beijing did not want to see its broad ties with the region dominated by the issue.
China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei all have claims over some islands and waters in the South China Sea.
Yang will also act as co-chairman with Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa on the second meeting of the joint committee for bilateral cooperation between the two governments.
Peking University’s Yang Baoyun said the key point to achieve consensus in any code of conduct was not to challenge China’s sovereignty.
“That is the bottom line,” he said.
Yang said the differences on the South China Sea issue among the Southeast Asian countries had deepened and now dominated their relations with China.
“But I believe the problem has been played up too much by the media and countries including the US which seek to maximize their own interests.”
US State Department spokesman Patrick Ventrell said on Aug. 3 that China raised tensions in the region last month by establishing a city and garrison in the South China Sea.
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