ASEAN to work with China to end territorial disputes

ASEAN to work with China to end territorial disputes

Brian Rhoads, Reuters, Bandar Seri Begawan

Southeast Asian foreign ministers pledged on Tuesday to work
closely with giant neighbor China on a code of conduct to help
resolve territorial disputes in the potentially oil-rich South
China Sea.

"We reaffirm that the adoption of a code of conduct in the
South China Sea would further promote peace and stability in the
region and agreed to work towards a declaration on the conduct of
parties in the South China Sea," ASEAN ministers said in a
communique at the close of a two-day meeting.

"In this regard, we agreed to work closely with China with a
view to adopting the declaration," the communique said.

After years of wrangling, talks on a code of conduct picked up
speed at this week's Association of South East Asian Nations
(ASEAN) meetings in Brunei.

Ministers compromised with an agreement which refers broadly
to the South China Sea but avoids any mention of the hotly
contested Spratly or Paracel islands.

Claimants pledge to practise self-restraint in activity that
could spark disputes, like inhabiting the islands, to exchange
views between defense and military officials and to notify others
of military exercises, said a copy of the code seen by Reuters.

Without acceptance by China, the most powerful claimant over
the collection of reefs, banks and tiny islands known as the
Spratlys, the code of conduct would have little clout.

It remained unclear whether China would accept the agreement.
"We have always supported ASEAN's efforts on a South China Sea
code of conduct," Chinese Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan told
reporters on the sidelines of the meeting. He is to attend an
Asia-Pacific security forum in Brunei on Wednesday.

"I'm still not clear on what the latest content is and how
they have revised it. So it's hard to comment because I haven't
yet seen it," he said.

China, which relies more and more on crude oil and gas imports
to fuel breakneck economic growth, long insisted all talks with
its smaller rivals be carried out bilaterally, but has recently
shown signs of flexibility, Western diplomats say.

In the code, ASEAN members "reaffirm their respect for and
commitment to the freedom of navigation and overflight of
aircraft above the South China Sea, as provided for by the
universally recognized principles of international law".

They also pledge to resolve territorial disputes "through
peaceful means, without resorting to the threat or use of force,
through consultations and negotiations by sovereign states
directly concerned".

Ministers would forward the code of conduct to their
governments ahead of a summit late this year, officials said.
Tensions over the Spratlys, claimed entirely or in part by the
Philippines, China, Brunei, Taiwan, Malaysia and Vietnam, have
simmered for years. Rival navies patrol in the region and
countries including China and Malaysia have been accused of
building structures atop the rocky shoals.

The Philippine Navy sank a Chinese fishing boat that collided
with one of its gunships in 1999, scuttling earlier debate by
ASEAN foreign ministers on a code of conduct for the area
covering nearly 410,000 sq km (158,000 sq miles).