A series of incidents between Beijing and several other nations with territorial claims to the sea has sent tensions soaring across Southeast Asia and spurred Washington to call for a halt to any activities that could worsen regional maritime relations.
Animosity over the South China Sea, a crucial maritime route that is also believed to hold huge oil and gas deposits, is dominating Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) talks in Myanmar, which began on Friday and are broadening to include key world powers ahead of security discussions on Sunday.
"The position of China to safeguard its own sovereignty, maritime rights and interests is firm and unshakeable," Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told reporters following a meeting with ASEAN counterparts in the Myanmar capital Nay Pyi Taw.
Beijing claims sovereignty over almost the entire sea including waters, islands, reefs, shoals and rocky outcrops nearer to other countries. The reach of its claims has stirred years of diplomatic protest from ASEAN states Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam, which also claim parts of the sea, while Taiwan is a sixth claimant.
While China always acted with "self restraint", Wang warned "for those groundless provocative activities, the Chinese side is bound to make clear and firm reactions."
'COMMON RESPONSIBILITY'
'US Secretary of State John Kerry, who is in Nay Pyi Taw for the regional meet, called on all parties to refrain from actions that could deepen maritime hostilities.Speaking ahead of bilateral talks with the 10-member ASEAN, Kerry said the US shared a "common responsibility" with the bloc to "ensure the maritime security of critical global seas lanes and ports". "What happens here matters, not just in this region and to the United States, but it matters to everybody in the world to see a Southeast Asia that continues to grow based on rules-based international law," he added.
Quoting a 2002 declaration of conduct for the disputed region - also signed by China - Kerry urged claimant states to voluntarily agree to step back from any actions that could "complicate or escalate disputes"....................AFP/ec..............http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/maritime-dispute/1305256.html
9/8/14
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Foreign Ministers of China and ASEAN reached consensus Saturday to further deepen strategic partnership between China and ASEAN, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said here Saturday....
ReplyDeleteWang made the remarks at a joint press conference with Acting Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow of Thailand following the ASEAN-China Foreign Ministers Meeting held as part of the 47th ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting (AMM) in Myanmar's capital of Nay Pyi Taw.
Wang stressed the building of a closer China-ASEAN community of common destiny, saying that an important mission at the moment is to actively move forward the series of agreements already reached between leaders of China and ASEAN countries on growing bilateral ties and ensure the success of the 17th China-ASEAN Summit to be held in November.
Wang said China has put forward under the 2+7 framework 12 specific initiatives to advance China-ASEAN relations on three fronts.
On the political front, China has suggested to hold the China- ASEAN informal leaders' meeting in combination with the Boao Forum for Asia annual conference or the China-ASEAN Expo and to launch discussion on the signing of a China-ASEAN treaty on good- neighborliness, friendship and cooperation.
China has also suggested the formulation of the Plan of Action to Implement the Joint Declaration on the ASEAN-China Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity (2016-2020).
China is ready to sign with ASEAN the Protocol to the Treaty on the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone at an early date, he said.
On the regional front, while welcoming the recent launch of negotiation between China and ASEAN on the upgraded CAFTA, he expressed China's willingness to discuss working objectives and plans for the next stage.
China looks forward to working with ASEAN to jointly build the 21st century maritime Silk Road and is willing to put forward concrete ideas for such cooperation, he added.
China also expressed welcome for all the ten ASEAN members to join the building of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank as founding members......................http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/china/2014-08/09/c_133544710.htm