Say no to foreign intervention in South China Sea disputes, China urges PHL, ASEAN

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Tuesday called on the Philippines and members of the Association of South East Asian Nations to unite and stand together in resisting intervention of “non-regional forces" in the South China Sea disputes.

Without naming any country, Wang, who is on an official visit to Manila, warned that some forces are out to destabilize the situation in the area where he said tensions have deescalated in recent months.

“If there are still non-regional forces in the region, they don’t want to see stability in the South China Sea and they still want to stir up trouble in the South China Sea, we need to stand together and we need to say no to them together,” Wang said at a joint news conference with Philippine Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano after their bilateral meeting.

Defying China’s warnings to keep out of the disputes, US military vessels, in a direct challenge to what it calls Beijing’s excessive claims in the waters, have repeatedly sailed within 12 nautical mile zones on features unilaterally expanded by China, prompting angry protests from Beijing. US planes have also flown over the Chinese-controlled areas.

Last week, Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop openly criticized China’s island-building in the South China Sea and urged all claimants to respect international law.

China, which considers the sea disputes a purely Asian issue, is opposed to any foreign intervention, particularly from the US, accusing Washington of military intervention.

Although the US is not a party to the disputes, it has declared in the past that it is in its national  interest to ensure freedom of navigation, trade and peace and stability in the South China Sea, where a bulk of the world’s trade passes through.

China claims “indisputable sovereignty” over 90 percent of the waters, where undersea gas, oil and mineral deposits have been discovered in several areas.

It also refused to honor the Netherlands-based international arbitral tribunal ruling that invalidated its massive claim. The case was filed by Manila in 2013 under then-President Benigno Aquino III after China seized the Manila-claimed Scarborough Shoal following months of standoff with the Philippines.

Contrary to Aquino, President Rodrigo Duterte made friendly overtures to China. His decision to set aside the country's arbitration victory over South China Sea territories has improved Manila’s relations with China and allowed Filipino fishermen to return to the Scarborough Shoal as promise of huge development assistance poured in from Beijing.

Wang said the improvement of ties between the Philippines and China played a “key role” in the  return of stability in the waters, where Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also have overlapping claims.

“Through concerted efforts between China and the Philippines the situation in the South China Sea is trending towards stability and cooperation is rising and positive elements are increasing,” Wang said.

He  noted that the implementation of a non-binding code of conduct between the ASEAN and China is making new progress, while the proposed framework for a  code of conduct is taking shape.

“This fact shows to the world that China and ASEAN countries have full capabilities and wisdom to handle the difference between us and maintain stability in the South China Sea,” he added.

ASEAN groups the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar.

Over the recent years, Beijing has taken a more aggressive stance in the tense waters, beefing up its reclamation activities in disputed areas and transforming previously submerged features into artificial islands with multi-level buildings and runways. It has also installed surface-to-air missiles in these areas, triggering concerns from countries, such as the US, Japan and Australia.

Competing claims  over the waters have sparked occasional violence and the area is now regarded as a potential flashpoint for armed conflict.  —KBK/KVD, GMA News