Ties with China tightened as Surapong brushes aside cloud of maritime territory disputes
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Asean and China said yesterday they would not allow conflicts in the South China Sea to overshadow their strategic partnership, and agreed to enhance economic ties, a free-trade pact, infrastructure connectivity and maritime cooperation.
Foreign ministers of Asean and China gathered in Beijing yesterday for a meeting co-chaired by Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi and Thai counterpart Surapong Towichukchaikul, to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the strategic partnership.
The disputes between China and several Asean members over territory in the South China Sea was one of the topics under discussion.
Asean and China signed a non-binding Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) in 2002 as an instrument to handle the disputes and are now working towards a legally binding code of conduct (COC).
Chinese and Asean ministers were looking forward to constructive and substantive discussion on the DOC and COC at a high-powered official meeting in mid September in China, Surapong told reporters in Beijing after the meeting.
With candid and sincere dialogue, both sides could make strong progress and finalise the code of conduct for good practice in the South China Sea soon, he said.
“We should not focus exclusively on the conflict, as we have other aspects of maritime cooperation such as environment management, maritime disaster relief and a joint-development scheme,” Surapong said.
Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi said the conflict over islands in the China Sea did not constitute a dispute between Asean as a bloc and China. Each side should not allow the issue to affect overall relations, he added.
“We must not let one opinion replace the consensus and common will by pursuing a single selfish way over the issue,” he said.
“Asean and China have the capacity to ensure peace and stability in the South China Sea.”
The new Chinese government, which took office recently, placed high importance on Asean and would give priority to the bloc in its policy on neighbouring countries, he said.
“China is firmly committed to deepening its strategic partnership with Asean, notably in upholding peace and stability in the region, including the South China Sea,” Wang Yi said.
China-Asean relations are multifaceted and cover political, security, economic and social aspects, Thai minister Surapong said.
Ministers of both sides were satisfied with robust economic ties that have seen bilateral trade between Asean and China increase fivefold in the last 10 years to nearly $400 billion (Bt12.9 trillion) last year, he said.
Both sides have agreed to upgrade their free-trade pact to further reduce tariff barriers and cover more goods. Enhancing free trade would also lay the foundations for negotiations on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), scheduled for completion by 2015, he said.
The RCEP is an initiative to economically link all 10 Asean members with the rest of Asia, including Australia, China, India, Japan, South Korea and New Zealand.
Thailand, as the coordinator of the China-Asean startegic partnership, has pushed cooperation on an infrastructure network to link up the region.
Meanwhile, China has set up an infrastructure development fund and proposed capital mobilisation to help fuel development, he said.
