The South China Sea issue a test for ASEAN

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) foreign ministers issued a statement on the South China Sea issue in Myanmar on May 10.

The statement appeals to all parties in the South China Sea to comply with universally recognized principles of international law, maintain self-restraint, and avoid activities that might damage regional peace and stability, to settle disputes peacefully and not resort to force or menace with force, to safeguard peace, stability and safety in the South China Sea, and to ensure free navigation. It also calls for full and effective implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea. The statement says that ongoing developments in the South China Sea are intensifying regional tension.

The issue of the South China Sea is not one between China and ASEAN. It is a territorial dispute between China and specific ASEAN countries over certain islets in the Nansha islands, and claims over particular areas of the sea. It should therefore be addressed directly by the parties involved through peaceful negotiations. The ASEAN meeting is not an appropriate occasion to discuss the South China Sea issue. China is opposed to any country which attempts to contaminate the atmosphere of friendly cooperation between China and ASEAN by exploiting the issue of the South China Sea. In fact, since its first declaration on the South China Sea issue in 1992, ASEAN as a whole has reiterated its neutrality on the issue and its refusal to side with any party to the dispute.

Singapore Foreign Minister K. Shanmugam has said that ASEAN has to be neutral on the South China Sea issue, but that neutrality does not mean staying silent.

This stance requires careful balance. On the one hand, the Philippines and Vietnam attempt to force ASEAN to take their side with calls for the "solidarity" and "consensus" that ASEAN values. On the other, the Chinese government says that it supports positive activities that enhance cooperation in the South China Sea, while responding decisively to any provocation in the area. China will never give away its territories in the South China Sea. China can negotiate with ASEAN on ways to safeguard peace and stability in the South China Sea. As to matters of territorial sovereignty and jurisdiction, it will seek only bilateral negotiations with the parties involved. The solidarity of ASEAN lies in safeguarding regional interests as a whole, rather than favoring the specific interests of any individual country, or becoming the tool of any country in its attempt to constrain China.

ASEAN has expressed its "minimum consensus" on the South China Sea issue. China has its bottom line on the issue. To address the South China Sea issue properly will be a test for both China and ASEAN.