South China Sea dispute a ‘bump’ in historical ties: experts

With the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) ruling in favour of the Philippines, discussions on the issue are expected to heat up at the Asean Ministerial Meeting (AMM) in Vientiane later this week. This could possibly be because Asean has vowed to adhere to its non-interference policy. 

While Asean enjoys “comfortable” ties, the grouping has still gone ahead with 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in South China Sea (DOC) and is now working on the Code of Conduct to cope with the tensions.

These measures, however, are being taken despite the split in the grouping, with four of the Asean members in direct dispute over China’s maritime claims and Cambodia and current Asean chair Laos being under the influence of Beijing. The other Asean members, such as Thailand and Singapore, have chosen to remain neutral and are calling on all claimants to adhere to the DOC. 

China, meanwhile, wishes to maintain its dynamics in Asean through its ties with individual countries and cooperation. 

Scholars at a seminar held by the state-affiliated Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) called on AMM to focus on economic and people-to-people relations with China, saying that this dispute was merely a “bump” in what they termed “historically inherited relations”.

The Philippines should take a softer stance, especially since this year marks the 25th anniversary of Asean-China ties, they suggested. 

“[Philippine] President [Rodrigo] Duterte could start anew,” said Fan Jishe, senior research fellow at the CASS’s institute of American Studies. “The former president troubled our relations with the Philippines,” Fan said, referring to former president Benigno Aquino, who took the case to the PCA. 

Many other scholars at the event also pointed the finger at Washington, saying it was “influencing” the maritime dispute.

Zheng Yongnian, professor from the National University of Singapore, said he thinks the United States possibly fears China’s emergence in the global stage and has thus taken an active stance in the maritime dispute, which has “stabilised over the past few thousand years”. 

Zhao Qizheng, former minister of China’s State Council Information Office, went as far back as the Ming dynasty to highlight China’s historical ties with Southeast Asian countries. 

“We want to maintain a friendly position [with Asean],” Zhao said during a press briefing. “[Though] we are not happy with the Philippines, we still look forward to holding friendly discussions [with it].” 

Kavi Chongkittavorn, a senior fellow at Chulalongkorn University’s Institute of Strategic and International Studies, meanwhile told The Nation that an Asean joint communique would most likely be issued at the AMM. He reckons the communique will likely include the South China Sea issue, but may not directly mention the court’s decision. 

The seminar, organised by CASS’s Institute of Chinese Borderland Studies, was held in Singapore on Monday bringing together some 30 experts, with most of them coming from China, and the rest from India, Cambodia, Malaysia, Vietnam and Thailand.