Declaration of ASEAN-China ties studied<\/p>\n
HUANGSHAN, China (AFP): Top officials from Southeast Asian
\ncountries have agreed to consider a Chinese proposal to draft and
\nsign a political declaration cementing their relations with the
\nCommunist giant.<\/p>\n
The proposal will be passed on to the foreign ministers of
\neach Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member state,
\nAbdul Kadir Mohamad, secretary-general of the Malaysian foreign
\naffairs ministry, said here yesterday.<\/p>\n
Kadir was among the senior officials attending the third
\nannual China-ASEAN conference in this mountain resort in the
\neastern Chinese province of Anhui.<\/p>\n
Malaysia is currently chairman of ASEAN which also groups
\nBrunei, Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.<\/p>\n
\"The concept of having a political document is quite
\nacceptable. The important thing is what is to be contained and
\nexpressed in the document,\" Kadir said.<\/p>\n
He stressed that any such agreement should advance principles
\nand ideas contained in existing international and regional
\ndeclarations, and take into account the interests of both sides.<\/p>\n
Apparently the confidence-building declaration envisaged by
\nChina would set out guidelines for economic cooperation, as well
\nas political dialog and the future development of Sino-ASEAN
\nties.<\/p>\n
ASEAN, however, has never signed such documents with its
\ndialog partners before and would need to make a collective
\ndecision on how to deal with China's proposal, the official said.
\nChina only became a full dialogue partner of ASEAN in July last
\nyear.<\/p>\n
\"The paper is still at the level of senior officials. We will
\npresent the proposal to our foreign ministers and ask them to
\nconsider it and, if they deem it acceptable, to give us the
\nauthority to move ahead,\" Kadir said.<\/p>\n
The proposal was expected to be put before the ASEAN foreign
\nministers at their annual meeting in Kuala Lumpur in July.<\/p>\n
During the discussions here, China also expressed a
\nwillingness to sign the Treaty on the Southeast Asian Nuclear
\nWeapons Free Zone, but only through a protocol of accession
\nprepared for the five nuclear powers.<\/p>\n
None of the five -- the United States, France, Britain, Russia
\nand China -- has so far signed the protocol because of concerns
\nover its provisions.<\/p>\n
ASEAN is in the process of amending the content and China has
\nasked for consideration to be given to a provision which covers
\nterritorial waters and the exclusive economic zones of countries,
\nan ASEAN official said.<\/p>\n
Beijing is concerned that the provision might affect China's
\nclaim to the Spratly islands in the South China Sea, which it
\ndisputes with Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam.<\/p>\n
The planned one-and-a-half day meeting here ended ahead of
\nschedule after intensive discussions Thursday which dealt
\nformally with the issue of the Spratlys dispute for the first
\ntime.<\/p>\n
Some analysts here said yesterday that ASEAN's relationship
\nwith China, once looked upon as a threat, has undergone a sea
\nchange since they opened a dialogue three years ago.<\/p>\n
ASEAN started its first consultation with China in the eastern
\ngarden city of Hangzhou in 1995, after an incident in the
\ndisputed Spratly Islands.<\/p>",
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