HEADLINE-ASIA GEOPOLITICS | Asean foreign ministers worried by South China Sea-SCS tensions
This handout photo taken on Dec. 2, 2023 and released on December 3 by the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) shows an aerial view of Chinese vessels gathered by Whitsun Reef, around 320 kilometres (200 miles) west of Palawan Island, in disputed waters of the South China Sea. The Philippines said December 3 more than 135 Chinese vessels were “swarming” a reef off its coast, describing the boats’ growing presence as “alarming”.Handout / Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) / AFP
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MANILA, Philippines — Foreign ministers of Southeast Asia’s regional bloc are calling for peaceful dialogue as tensions grow in the South China Sea.
“We closely follow with concern the recent developments in the South China Sea that may undermine peace, security and stability in the region,” the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) top diplomats said in a statement on Saturday.
“We reaffirm the importance of maintaining and promoting peace, safety, security, stability and freedom of navigation in and overflight above the maritime sphere of Southeast Asia, particularly the South China Sea,” they added.
Memento Maxima Digital MarketingThe statement came after China’s repeated aggressive actions against Philippine vessels in the West Philippine Sea, ignoring calls from the international community to stop its dangerous conduct and refusing to honor the 2016 arbitral ruling that invalidated Beijing’s claim to nearly the entire South China Sea.
China claims most of the South China Sea through a “nine-dash line” that loops as far as 1,500 kilometers south of its mainland, cutting into the exclusive economic zones of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam.
During a Dec. 20 phone call with Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo that China initiated, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi warned the Philippines to “act with caution” as Philippines-China ties are now “facing serious difficulties.”
Manalo reaffirmed the Philippines’ interest in protecting its sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction while maintaining peace and security and upholding the international rules-based order.
The ASEAN foreign ministers also urged for peaceful resolution of disputes in accordance with international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
“We reiterate the importance of peaceful dialogue that contributes constructively to the promotion of regional stability and cooperation in the maritime domain,” they said.
China has been an aggressor in numerous incidents as it utilized water cannons and forced a collision which caused damage to Philippine vessels undertaking official supply missions.
Chinese military ships operating near Bajo de Masinloc also used acoustic devices to incapacitate Filipino crew members.
The international community condemned China’s “dangerous and unlawful” actions at Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal and Bajo de Masinloc, also called Panatag Shoal or Scarborough Shoal, in the West Philippine Sea and called out Beijing for interfering in lawful Philippine maritime operations.
ASEAN and China have worked toward creating a South China Sea code of conduct, a plan dating back to 2002.
But progress has been slow despite parties’ commitment to speed up the process.
Talks on the code’s components have yet to start amid concerns over China’s willingness to commit to a binding set of rules consistent with international law.
