Washington – Leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on Sunday (October 13) urged China and ASEAN to quickly reach an agreement on the “Code of Conduct in the South China Sea” based on international law. They also called on the military government in Myanmar and the armed resistance movement to immediately cease hostilities and end the civil war through inclusive dialogue.
The leaders of the ten ASEAN countries expressed this position in a draft Chairman’s Statement prepared after the conclusion of the East Asia Summit (EAS) on Friday. Diplomats from the United States, Russia, China, Japan, India, and South Korea also participated in the East Asia Summit.
The sovereignty dispute in the South China Sea is a focal point of the East Asia Summit. Approximately $3 trillion worth of goods transit through this crucial waterway in the South China Sea every year, yet territorial disputes in the region have escalated in recent years. While the United States does not claim sovereignty over the South China Sea, it has a Mutual Defense Treaty with the Philippines, therefore, in the event of armed conflict between China and the Philippines, the US has a direct treaty obligation to intervene.
A US official disclosed to Reuters on Saturday that Russia and China obstructed the draft consensus statement of the East Asia Summit prepared by Southeast Asian countries. The sticking point was the language pertaining to the South China Sea in the draft, which both Russia and China objected to.
The official stated that this draft consensus statement was reached collectively by all ten ASEAN member states and was submitted on Thursday night to the 18-country East Asia Summit being held in Vientiane, Laos.
The official, who chose to remain anonymous, stated, “ASEAN submitted this final draft and indicated that it was basically a ‘take it or leave it’ draft.”
The official mentioned that the United States, Japan, Australia, South Korea, and India all indicated support for the statement, but “Russia and China stated they could not accept it and would not advance the statement further.”
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated at a press conference held in Vientiane on Friday that the final draft statement did not pass because “the United States, Japan, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand have been trying to turn it into a purely political statement.”
The Chairman’s Statement eventually issued by ASEAN called for measures to be established to “reduce the risks of tensions, miscalculations, and accidents” in the South China Sea. The statement mentioned that negotiations on the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea have shown “positive momentum” and may help resolve sovereignty disputes in the region.
China and ASEAN agreed in 2002 to negotiate the establishment of a Code of Conduct in the South China Sea, but formal negotiations did not commence until 2017.
The Chairman’s Statement indicated that ASEAN “looks forward to an early conclusion of an effective and substantive” and “lawful” agreement, including the “Code of Conduct in the South China Sea” under the United Nations Convention.
Furthermore, in response to the escalating civil war in Myanmar, the Chairman’s Statement of ASEAN also called for an immediate ceasefire to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid and to create a “favorable environment” for a “Myanmar-led” inclusive national dialogue.
Myanmar is a member of ASEAN, but the armed conflicts between the military government and domestic resistance movements have intensified, posing a major concern for ASEAN. The military government in Myanmar implemented a five-point peace plan following a coup in 2021, but it made little progress.
Reuters reported that an estimated 18.6 million people, approximately one-third of Myanmar’s total population, are in need of humanitarian assistance.
In the Chairman’s Statement, ASEAN welcomed a proposal for Thailand to host an informal meeting on Myanmar later this year, and other ASEAN member states may also participate in the meeting.
(Translated from a Voice of America report)