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ASEAN caves to China

After hectic negotiations, ASEAN foreign ministers who had gathered in the Laos capital Vientiane for the 49th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM) produced a communique that amounted to little more than a slap on the wrist for China over its territorial ambitions in the South China Sea

Tama Salim (The Jakarta Post)
Vientiane, Laos
Tue, July 26, 2016

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ASEAN caves to China

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fter hectic negotiations, ASEAN foreign ministers who had gathered in the Laos capital Vientiane for the 49th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM) produced a communique that amounted to little more than a slap on the wrist for China over its territorial ambitions in the South China Sea.

In a joint communique released after the three-day talks, the foreign ministers of ASEAN said only that they remained “seriously concerned over recent and ongoing developments” in the South China Sea.

The communique, which was finally agreed following stonewalling efforts by Cambodia, an ally of
China in the region with the aid of host country Laos, refrained from even mentioning China by name when referring to the developments in question.

In what many described as a diplomatic victory for China, the joint statement failed to mention a recent decision by an international arbitration panel in a dispute between the Philippines and China that ruled Beijing’s claims in the South China Sea were illegal and that the Philippines was justifiably the aggrieved party.

“We reaffirmed the importance of maintaining and promoting peace, security, stability, safety and freedom of navigation in and over-flight above the South China Sea,” the joint statement said.

“We further reaffirmed the need to enhance mutual trust and confidence, exercise self-restraint in the conduct of activities and avoid actions that may further complicate the situation,” it said.

Such statements have previously been issued, notably after an ASEAN-US summit in California, US, in February.

The communique was agreed only an hour before the group met with China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi in the ASEAN-China Post Ministerial Conference (PMC).

Indonesia’s Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi, who had taken the initiative to break the deadlock by holding informal meetings among ASEAN’s top diplomats, claimed that the communique was an example of the regional grouping’s unity.

“The consensus to issue a negotiated communique acceptable to all member states showcased ASEAN unity and centrality, creating a positive atmosphere in the midst of the AMM and PMC meetings,” Retno told reporters after the ASEAN-China talks.

Behind the scenes, Retno played a crucial role in bringing her counterparts together, leveraging the neighbors’ historical and political affinities to work out a consensus.

Many who joined the negotiations said that division was deep within ASEAN at this time.

An ASEAN diplomat who spoke on the condition of anonymity claimed that Laos Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith personally persuaded Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on Monday morning to revert to his stance of supporting Beijing.

The joint communique was adopted shortly after the early morning gathering of foreign ministers and was published during the meeting with China’s Yi.

Retno said that talks with China remained “constructive” despite mentions of the South China Sea issue.

Yi declined to comment on the communique, and briefly mentioned the issue in a joint statement with ASEAN recognizing that “maintaining peace and stability in the South China Sea region serves the fundamental interests of ASEAN member states and China as well as the international community,” Chinese state news agency Xinhua
reported.

When asked about the intransigence of Laos and Cambodia, which is heavily dependent on Chinese aid and investment, Retno said that differences were not uncommon in ASEAN.

“There will always be differences among countries and the decision is not likely to please everyone involved, but at least it showcases the earnestness of all member states in safeguarding their unity and ASEAN’s centrality,” Retno said.

The communique is considered a step up from another joint statement adopted in an earlier retreat in February, when ASEAN foreign ministers agreed on respecting “legal and diplomatic processes.”

Separately, however, Yi commented on the international tribunal’s ruling on the South China Sea as “amounting to prescribing a dose of the wrong medicine [...] and it seems that certain countries outside the region have got all worked up, keeping the fever high,” he said, in apparent reference to the US.

“And if the prescription is wrong it will not help cure any disease. That’s why we urge other counties in the region to lower the temperature,” he told a news conference after 90 minutes of talks with the ASEAN ministers.

Yi said about 80 percent of that time was spent on ASEAN-China relations, and only 20 percent on the South China Sea. He joked that reporters had expended more than 80 percent of the question-and-answer time on the South China Sea.

“Both China and ASEAN believe this page should have been turned and the temperature lowered,” he said as quoted by The Associated Press.
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