Thailand - Asean, China 'must not let disputes hurt trading ties'

Asean and China must demonstrate to the world that they can manage South China Sea disputes in order to assure that this problem will not obstruct economic development and ties, Asean secretary-general Surin Pitsuwan says.

Mr Surin, speaking at a panel discussion on geopolitics at the World Economic Forum yesterday, said Asean countries are working to create a "code of conduct" regarding the South China Sea so that they can have an instrument with which to settle disputes in this resource-rich area.

"This issue has drawn attention from around the world. The question for Asean and China is what instrument can we use to end these conflicts. How can we move forward if there are disputes among us," he said.

"The creation of a code of conduct is making good progress since the the East Asia Summit in Bali last year and we are hopeful of getting good cooperation from all parties."

Several countries, including China, the Philippines and Vietnam, are laying claim to territorial areas in the South China Sea, such as the Spratly and Paracel islands that are thought to be rich in oil and gas reserves.

Mr Surin said Asean and China have to try an settle the disputes themselves given the close trade ties between the regional bloc and the world's second-largest economy. Some 80% to 85% of all Asean trade is with China, and failure to resolve the conflicts would be a problem for the region.

Zha Daojiong, a professor at the School of International Studies at Peking University, said although territorial disputes in the South China Sea remain, China is still committed to maintaining good relations with the countries involved, such as Vietnam.

He noted that China is working with a Vietnamese company in the oil and gas exploration sector.

Still, Mr Daojiong insisted that China must maintain policies to protect its sovereignty over what he said are Chinese waters.

Susan Collins, a US senator from Maine, said the United States president, Barack Obama, supports moves to establish a code of conduct on the South China Sea.

While Washington and Beijing have differing opinions regarding the ongoing territorial disputes, the United States still wants a good relationship with China, she said.

Nalin Viboonchart

http://www.bangkokpost.com/

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