Beijing's sea baselines to be questioned
Beijing's sea baselines to be questioned
JAKARTA (JP): ASEAN will seek further clarification during
either the ASEAN Regional Forum or the Post Ministerial
Conferences on a recent Chinese declaration in which Beijing
unilaterally defined its sea baselines in the South China Sea.
Malaysia's Permanent Secretary of Foreign Affairs Kamil Jafaar
said that ASEAN will most likely pursue the matter in the coming
week at a meeting which will involve Chinese Foreign Minister
Qian Qichen.
"So maybe in the ASEAN-plus one meeting we may have the
opportunity of seeking clarification," he said referring to the
Post Ministerial Conferences in which individual ASEAN ministers
accompanied by officials from other members will meet with a
dialog partner.
Malaysia is the coordinating country due to hold a meeting
with China.
"We want to know the basis of the declaration. See what they
will say," Jaafar said.
China in May passed a declaration which defines its
territorial sea borders in the South China Sea.
The area is a potential flash point in the region with several
countries having overlapping territorial claims. At least four
ASEAN members -- Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam --
are directly involved in the disputed territory.
ASEAN officials have questioned the grounds for Beijing's
demarcation, arguing that their basis only applies to
archipelagic states.
"If China is an archipelagic nation then there is basis, but
do you think that China is an archipelagic nation?" Jaafar
quipped.
Separately, Indonesia's Director General of Political Affairs
Izhar Ibrahim said yesterday Indonesia will bring up the issue
during "any forum possible" but cited the ASEAN Regional Forum as
the most likely one.
He also asserted that Indonesia is questioning Beijing's
claimed sea baselines and maintained that it was unapplicable
considering China's position as a continental and not an
archipelagic state.
Izhar said he expects China to "define more clearly" the
borders as it has delineated in its legislation.
He added that if the legislation were applied, China could
extend its claims further to Indonesia's Natuna Island.
The seabed surrounding the islands are potentially rich in
natural gas which Indonesia hopes to exploit in the coming years.
Kamil Jafaar stressed that whether it was in the ASEAN
Regional Forum or Post Ministerial Conferences, ASEAN will follow
through on the issue, adding that it could also be discussed
bilaterally and during the annual ASEAN-China dialog.
Nonetheless, given its complexity of the overlapping claims,
he cautioned against expecting any quick solution to the general
dispute surrounding the South China Sea.
"Yet I think we have to persevere to find a solution
acceptable to all...It's not easy to solve everything," he
remarked. (pwn/mds)`