Asean leaders call on China to urgently discuss South China Sea

Asean's 10 member countries, four of which have rival claims with Beijing over the South China Sea, re-affirmed their commitment to a"peaceful resolution of disputes" in the area without resorting to threats or force.

 

"Both Asean and China wish to promote a calm and peaceful atmosphere (in the South China Sea) and to urgently work on the code of conduct," said Brunei Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, chairman of this year's summit of Asean leaders.

 

"We would like all parties concerned to seize the current positive momentum and to reach an agreement on the code of conduct," he said in a press briefing at the end of the two-day summit in Brunei.

 

"We all agree to encourage continuing discussion, dialogue, and consultation in all levels especially among claimant countries and to keep the lines of communication open," he added.

 

In 2002, Asean and China signed a non-binding agreement on cooperation in the South China Sea, in a bid to discourage confrontations in the area. But attempts to make the pact legally binding have so far failed.

 

The proposed code of conduct between Asean and China would deal with the behaviour of claimant countries during disputes, but would not aim to resolve the territorial claims, Bolkiah said.

 

"In my view, it is important to have in place practical procedures which could assist in avoiding undesired incidents at sea," Bolkiah said.

 

"The overlapping claims are for the claimant states to deal with," he added.

 

China claims most of the maritime area, which contains key shipping lanes and has estimated oil reserves of up to 30 billion tons and 20 trillion cubic metres of gas reserves.

 

Several island groups are located in the South China Sea, but these are disputed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan.

 

The Philippines in January sought arbitration over competing claims with China at a United Nations tribunal.

 

Relations between the Manila and Beijing were strained last year after a standoff at Scarborough Shoal, which lies within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone but is claimed by China.

 

In his chairman's statement, Bolkiah said the leaders of the 10-country grouping have directed their foreign ministers "to move forward for the early conclusion of the code of conduct in the South China Sea on the basis of consensus."   Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa said Asean foreign ministers would hold a meeting to discuss the bloc's position on the code of conduct before going to Beijing to commemorate 10 years of partnership with China later in the year.

 

The Asean chairman's statement also expressed concern over the rising tension in the Korean Peninsula.

 

It urged North Korea to comply fully with its UN obligations and to its commitments under the Six-Party Talks.

 

"We reaffirmed our full support for all efforts to bring about the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula in a peaceful manner as well as the early resumption of the Six Party Talks," the statement said.

 

Asean was founded in 1967 and includes Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

 

Only Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak was absent from the gathering as he was campaigning for parliamentary elections on May 5.