The foreign ministers of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on Sunday (April 26) urged China to stop reclamation in the disputed waters in theSouth China Sea and engage in discussion ahead of a regional summit.
“It would be much appreciated if China can stop work and sit down with us and member states and discuss,” said Malaysian Foreign Minister Anifah Aman after the ministers of the regional bloc met in Kuala Lumpur.
“The ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) member states want to see that this matter is to be settled, to complete amicably because it does affect not just the claimant states but ASEAN as a whole. Because we’re in this region and if there’s any instability in the region, then even those non-claimant states will be affected,” Anifah added.
During Sunday’s meeting, Philippines Foreign Minister Albert del Rosario called on neighbouring countries to push for an immediate halt to China’s reclamation in theSouth China Sea.
Recent satellite images suggest China has made rapid progress in building an airstrip suitable for military use in contested territory in the Spratly islands in theSouth China Sea and may be planning another.
The minister said the reclamation would likely be finished before China agrees to a planned Code of Conduct for the South China Sea.
The territorial dispute is seen as one of Asia’s hot spots, carrying risks that it could result in conflict as countries aggressively stake their claims. Anifah said avoiding confrontation is the ultimate aim of the discussion.
“China is a very strategic partnership for ASEAN and they are very important to ASEAN. And we also believe that ASEAN is very important to China, so there is no need for any confrontational efforts or confrontational situations whereby it will not bring any benefits to any country,” said Anifah.
China claims 90 percent of the waters, which is believed to be rich in oil and gas, with overlapping claims from Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Taiwan.
Philippines President Benigno Aquino is expected to call on his Southeast Asian partners to issue a collective statement condemning China’s reclamation.
(Reuters)
