MANILA
— At a stab at getting the United States
into the fray between the Philippines and China over conflicting claims of the
Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea, China’s Vice Foreign Minister on
Friday suggested for Asia to bond together and “reach out for Asian solutions
to Asian problems.”
China
has steadfastly called any third-party intervention on its territorial dispute
with the Philippines as “meddling” and pledged to counteract by the strongest
means, clashing directly with the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) mode for
a resolution.
The latter
espouses mediation by the International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea and
reminds that the US would assist if need be under the US-Philippine Mutual
Defense Treaty, among others.
In an
article she wrote for “The Straits Times” of Singapore on Friday, June 1,
entitled “East Asia’s Cooperative Security,” Vice Minister Madame Fu Ying, who
was Beijing’s ambassador to Manila from 1998 to 2000, suggested that Asia has
proven itself capable of independent action, having “built a solid track record
of resolving or containing disputes in the past 20 years.”
”Achieving
cooperative security requires the efforts of all countries. Asia has built a
solid track record of resolving or containing disputes in the past 20 years.
What we should do is to grasp every opportunity to reach out for Asian
solutions to Asian problems by working together."
Fu Ying
also took umbrage at US frequent citing of so-called “freedom of navigation” in
the South China Sea, which flows into the Pacific Ocean, as a reason for its
interest in the maritime area.
The US
position is supported by the DFA, which Secretary Albert del Rosario confirmed
in a statement following his participation at the so-called 2+2 Meeting with US
officials in Washington in early May.
Saying
China is just as protective of the sea lane as other littoral States in the
area, she put down the idea of linking Scarborough Shoal with freedom of
navigation.
“No
interest would be served by linking territorial issues with freedom of
navigation,” she stressed.
”The
sea lanes in the South China Sea are key transport routes for China.
Safeguarding the freedom and security of the sea lanes is a priority and common
responsibility for China and other littoral states,” she wrote.
Rather,
she said, “territorial issues could only be solved by relevant countries
through active pursuit of dialogue and continuous enhancement of mutual trust,
which should by no means affect further development of their cooperative
relations.”
Aside
from the Philippines, the “relevant countries” she refers to are Vietnam,
Malaysia and Brunei — all members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations
(ASEAN) group, of which China is a Dialogue Partner and a forum member
(ASEAN+3). Taiwan is another claimant, but China considers Taipei one its
provinces, albeit a renegade one.
Defense
officials, experts and scholars from Asia-Pacific countries are in Singapore to
discuss and reflect on how to build lasting security in East Asia.
This is
the context of Madame Fu's piece on East Asian security, equality and regional
cooperation, or what she termed “cooperative security.”
She
emphasized that “the core value of cooperative security can be defined as
security for all,” not just of a so-called major player acting as a bully.
“Remember,
a region can only feel as secure as its most insecure member. A good example
would be the Korean Peninsula.”
Madame
Fu was apparently insinuating to the situation of North Korea, which has just
declared itself a nuclear state, against the will of its neighbors, even of its
patron, China, because of feelings of insecurities for its nationhood.
”Out of
fear for its security, the weaker party would be prone to radical actions,
which would be more extreme when met by containment or sanctions,” she noted.
”Any
resolution to the situation therefore cannot rest on isolation or exclusion. It
cannot buttress the absolute security of one at the expense of the absolute
insecurity of another. Security in Asia should mean security for all Asian
countries."
”How
China-United States relations evolved has a major impact on East Asian
security. The two countries should have more dialogue and closer cooperation
and refrain from taking actions that put the other side in a difficult
position."
"This
would help to create a comfortable, rather than awkward, situation for
countries in the region.
”Armament
and bloc politics (such as the Cold War) have all failed to secure lasting
peace” in Asia, she said, noting that China itself has had the first-hand
experience of the deleterious results of such hegemony.
She
also cited Cambodia, which had civil war in the 1970s because of foreign
meddling, but has risen to economic development when the Cold War (mainly
between the US and Russia) ceased.
The end
of the Cold War has allowed East Asia to focus on economic rehabilitation,
“which has, in turn, strengthened regional stability,” she said.
”Cooperative
security cannot be achieved in turmoil and conflict. Compare East Asia with
other regions in the world, and we can justly be proud of our achievement. We
should also learn to cherish this progress,” she rallied.
”Cooperative
security is being borne out in China-Asean relations. This is based on the
understanding that security should be inclusive and mutual.
"Hegemony
in whatever form is not welcome. Security should be comprehensive, including
economic security and non-conventional security. The means to achieve security
should also be comprehensive."
Gloria
Jane Baylon
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