A spokesperson for
the Armed Forces of the Philippines said on July 1 that the armed forces will
work together with the Philippine Coast Guard to ensure the safety of
Philippine fishermen returning to the disputed Huangyan Island waters.
With the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations)
Foreign Ministers' Meeting right around the corner, the Philippines is sparing
no effort to stir up the South China Sea issue through all sorts of means, and
China should be on guard against its plot.
In recent years, a few countries such as the Philippines
have been taking advantage of the annual ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting to
stoke tensions over the South China Sea issue. One of the main reasons is that
the summit is attended by the representatives of ASEAN member states and also
senior diplomats from dialogue partners such as China, Japan, South Korea, and
the United States.
The United States said in a regional meeting in Hanoi in
2010 that territorial disputes in the South China Sea had a bearing on U.S.
national interests, indicating its interest in intervening in the South China
Sea issue. Tensions have been rising over the issue. During the ASEAN Foreign
Ministers' Meeting held in Bali, Indonesia, in 2011, the Philippines once more
put forward an unpractical proposal for resolving the South China Sea issue,
which broke an agreement between ASEAN and China, and disturbed the original
agenda of the summit.
The ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting is not the right
platform to discuss the South China Sea issue. China and ASEAN have many issues
concerning mutual cooperation and development to resolve through negotiations.
It would be unwise to discuss the South China Sea issue at the summit while
shelving other major issues.
China and ASEAN have carried out fruitful and deep
cooperation in recent years. Many ASEAN countries, including the Philippines
and Vietnam, have benefited much from China's rapid development. Cooperation is
the mainstream of China-ASEAN relations, and the South China Sea issue is just
a bilateral issue between China and certain ASEAN member states. The
Philippines' move runs counter to the common interest of ASEAN, and will not be
echoed by many other countries.
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the signing of
the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea. China has
abided by the principles established in the declaration, maintained close
contact with ASEAN countries, and actively explored regional cooperation
opportunities. In order to maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea,
China advocates that the South China Sea issue should only be resolved through
peaceful talks between claimants, and opposes internationalization of the issue
or any outside intervention.
China's cherishing of regional peace and stability as
well as good intentions of giving top priority to common interest should not be
seen as weakness or as yielding. Turning the South China Sea into a real sea of
peace, friendship, and cooperation serves the interests of both China and
ASEAN, and requires the practical efforts of all parties concerned.
People's Daily,
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