PHNOM PENH: ASEAN Secretary-General Dr Surin Pitsuwan said the willingness of China
to discuss a code of conduct with ASEAN over the disputed South China Sea is a
healthy start.
In an interview with Channel NewsAsia, Dr
Surin said an element of confidence is building now between ASEAN and China.
ASEAN Foreign Ministers met their
counterparts from China, Japan and South Korea on Tuesday.
During the meeting, the issue of the South
China Sea was raised.
The territorial dispute is a hot button issue
that's dominating the ASEAN meetings.
China claims essentially all of the South
China Sea, an area which is to vital shipping lanes, and believed to be rich in
oil and gas deposits. Taiwan and ASEAN members, the Philippines, Vietnam,
Brunei and Malaysia also have claims in the waters.
On July 9, ASEAN Foreign Ministers adopted
the key elements that ASEAN plans to use in negotiating with China.
They have given their senior officials the
mandate to negotiate with their Chinese counterparts.
The first formal meeting between the ASEAN
and Chinese senior officials on the code of conduct will take place in
September in Phnom Penh.
The structure of the meetings is expected to
be decided soon.
Dr Surin said: "They have to decide in
the next day or two whether this process is going to be formalized with certain
specific schedule. Is this going to be needed in the future when we discuss
whenever we come together, or are we going to have a regular schedule of
meetings between both sides?"
Dr Surin added: "There is an element of
confidence building now that we are building norms together. We are not groping
in the dark but we have specific goals in front of us. We don't know when we
are going to get there but at least we are walking in that direction together
to avoid misunderstandings along the way."
Despite positive developments, there have
been setbacks at the meetings.
Three of the five major nuclear powers who
are expected to sign on to a Southeast Asian nuclear free zone treaty have
backed out.
France, Britain and Russia have submitted
their reservations on some elements of the treaty, with the United States
supporting their reservations.
France and Russia, in their reservations,
referred to their right of self-defence in the event of a nuclear attack on
them in the future, while Britain cited future threats that may require it to
transport nuclear materials through Southeast Asia.
"They have come around and say they will
accede but after some thinking, they have certain reservations.... Their
reservations are going to diminish the commitment of the accession of the
signing itself," said Dr Surin.
ASEAN Foreign Ministers will be meeting their
10 dialogue partners on July 11 for their post ministerial conferences.
- CNA/fa
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