Asean meeting to urge Beijing to rejoin talks
The United States will remain
impartial in South China Sea conflicts and wants territorial disputes to be
solved peacefully, Samuel J Locklear III, commander of the US Pacific Command,
was quoted as saying during his visit to Thailand.
The four-star admiral affirmed
the US stance as he and US ambassador to Thailand Kristie Kenney yesterday paid
a courtesy call to Thanongsak Apirakyothin, permanent secretary for defence.
The meeting was marked as an
introduction of Adm Locklear to his Thai counterpart before the US admiral
officially assumes his post, Defence Ministry spokesman Thanathip Sawangsaeng
said.
The spokesman quoted Adm Locklear
as saying the US was committed to maintaining peace on the Korean peninsula to
ensure regional maritime security.
The US military also wants South
China Sea territory disputes to be solved through dialogue and peaceful
measures, Col Thanathip quoted Adm Locklear as saying, adding that the US would
not take sides in any potential conflict.
The military relationship between
the US and China will move ahead peacefully, Adm Locklear reportedly said,
adding that Thailand would benefit from this relationship as it has strong ties
with both countries.
It comes ahead of Thailand's
hosting of the Asean-China senior officials' retreat on Oct 25 to discuss the
South China Sea disputes, prior to the Asean Summit in Phnom Penh midway
through next month.
A government source said Bangkok
will host the Asean-China meeting. Thailand took a leading role attempting to
reach a compromise on South China Sea territorial disputes between China and
other Asean nations.
Thailand is the country
coordinator for Asean and China relations, with its three-year term due to end
in July 2015.
The same government source said
Asean and China will continue to work to abide by the commitments outlined in
the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea.
They will also hold a meeting to
discuss the development of a code of conduct (COC) to ensure disputes do not
escalate.
The source said the meeting will
table guidelines for negotiations between Asean and China over the coming year,
and urge China to return to the discussion table on the COC.
Foreign Ministry permanent
secretary Sihasak Phuangkhetkaew will chair the meeting, along with other
senior officials from Asean countries. Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Fu Ying
will represent China.
Asean Foreign Ministers failed to
issue their customary chairman's statement during their annual meeting last
July in Cambodia, after they failed to reach a consensus on the South China Sea
issue. It was the first time a regional conference ended without a joint statement
in the bloc's 45-year history.
Tensions over the territorial
disputes also increased in the last several months between the Philippines and
China and between Vietnam and China.
One conflict, which lasted
several months, involved a standoff between lightly armed Chinese and
Philippine vessels at Scarborough Shoal off the coast of the Philippines.
Another centred on a law enacted
in Vietnam claiming sovereignty over the Paracel and Spratly Islands, which
China also claims.
In addition to the Philippines
and Vietnam, Brunei and Malaysia, also members of Asean, claim territory in the
South China Sea, as do China and Taiwan.
Wassana Nanuam & Thanida
Tansubhapol
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