China reluctant to join project on biodiversity

JAKARTA (JP): Most participants of a regional meeting to discuss cooperation in the South China Sea agreed to launch a joint research project on biodiversity resources in the area, but the project may be delayed by China's reluctance to take part.

The workshop on "Managing Potential Conflicts in the South China Sea" in Batam, Riau, broke up Monday with most of the 11 participating countries agreeing to launch the biodiversity research project in January, Antara said.

Participants from China, Laos and Cambodia did not make any commitments, saying they had to refer to their respective governments first, the news agency said.

"We're ready to enter the phase of implementing various cooperation programs, especially the biodiversity project," said Hasyim Djalal, a senior Indonesian diplomat who chaired the workshop. Some participants were even prepared to finance the project, Djalal said.

He described the meeting as "rather difficult" but participants reached a compromise in which most stated their readiness to jointly implement the project, pending decisions from their respective governments.

The meeting is the seventh held by Indonesia to try to turn the South China Sea, where there are overlapping territorial claims, from a zone of potential conflict into one of cooperation.

China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines and Brunei each claim all or part of the Spratly Islands which many experts believe may be rich in oil and gas resources. China and Vietnam are also disputing the Paracel Islands to the north.

Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, Laos and Cambodia -- although they have no territorial disputes in the area -- have been taking part in the meetings.

The series of workshops, in which participants come in their private rather than official capacities, have produced a number of proposals since the first workshop was launched in 1990.

The Batam meeting agreed on the biodiversity project, with discussions slated to start next year, Antara said. The news agency did not say whether the project could start without China's participation.

Sources at the meeting said China tried to delay the implementation of the project, which was drawn up by a technical working group in Cebu, the Philippines, in July.

"If China doesn't agree, this is a setback," one participant was quoted by Antara as saying.

Enthusiasm about the workshop remained high, with some participants offering to host some of the working group meetings.

China is to host the working group meeting on environmental conservation and Thailand will host a meeting on maritime law. (swe/emb)