China and ASEAN see need for talks

China and ASEAN see need for talks

BUKITTINGGI, West Sumatra (AFP): China and the seven-member
Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) agreed on the
need for dialogue to lessen tensions in the region, officials
said here yesterday.

"It must be acknowledged that tensions exist in the region due
to long-standing disputes," Izhar Ibrahim, the director general
of political affairs at the Indonesian foreign affairs ministry,
said.

Izhar, who is co-chair of the two-day meeting, was addressing
the opening session of this second consultation between China and
ASEAN.

He warned that these disputes, if not properly managed, could
erupt into open conflict threatening regional peace and security,
and said dialogue on political and security matters should be
fostered in the region.

The head of the Chinese delegation, Vice Foreign Minister Tang
Jia Xuan, called on China and ASEAN "to discuss our common
concerns with sincerity and open-mindedness."

Beijing, Tang said, attached great importance to its ties with
ASEAN, which groups Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines,
Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. He pledged to discuss issues of
"common concern," although he provided no details.

Several ASEAN countries and other states in the region have
overlapping territorial claims to the Spratly and Paracel islands
in the South China Sea.

Izhar told the meeting that the current situation in the
region was "relatively stable and tranquil," and attributed it to
the practice of cultivating dialogue, consensus and cooperation
among states.

Officials said that the first day of talks would include a
review of developments in China and ASEAN as well as a review of
relations between the regional organization and China.

The consultation will also address Asian security issues,
including ASEAN's South East Asian Nuclear Free Zone, Indonesian
officials said.

Discussions on the South China Sea territorial disputes,
although not formally scheduled, may also take place. In
addition, participants may consider Beijing's stated intent to
become one of ASEAN's dialogue partners.

ASEAN's current main dialogue partners are Australia, Canada,
the European Union, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, and the
United States.

Before the meeting opened, Ibrahim said ASEAN senior officials
had agreed to make China a main dialogue partner. He said it was
now up to the ministers to decide.