At Vientiane summit, Beijing "disappears" from the South China Sea
In a concluding statement, the South-East Asian leaders express concern over the escalation of tension in the area but did not mention China, chiefly responsible for the current situation. Cambodia is a close ally of Beijing. Barack Obama is the only leader to underline that the Hague ruling is "binding".
Vientiane (AsiaNews / Agencies) - The "ASEAN + 3" Summit held recently in Vientiane (Laos) considered the issue of the South China Sea on the margins, without ever mentioning China, the main cause of the tensions in the area.
This is the charge that comes from various activists and outside observers, at the end of the summit, which brought together the leaders of 10 member countries of ASEAN (Association of South-East Asian Nations) and the representatives of China, South Korea, Japan and the United States.
In a joint statement released yesterday, the Asean leaders reaffirmed "the importance of maintaining peace, stability and security and freedom of navigation in and over-flight in the South China Sea". In addition, they "took note of the concerns expressed by some leaders on the land reclamations and escalation of activities in the area, which have eroded trust and confidence, increased tensions and may undermine peace, security and stability in the region". But no mention of Beijing, which is the chief instigator of the actions, the natural consequence of its claim to a large chunk of ocean including the Spratly and Paracel islands.
These areas are claimed by Vietnam, Taiwan, the Philippines, Brunei and Malaysia. There, China has begun construction of a series of artificial islands with military equipment and lighthouses, sinking several Vietnamese and Filipino fishing boats.
An article in the Japan Times points out that "the mild tone of the statement, despite growing frustration at China's claims, it is even more surprising given the presence at the summit of Barack Obama, whose administration has repeatedly expressed concern about Beijing's actions. " The US president was in fact the only leader, yesterday, to remember that the ruling issued by The Hague court last July 12 - which states that China is wrong - is "binding".
In addition, the article points out the phrase "some leaders" used in the document: "This means - writes the Japanese newspaper - that not all leaders [Asean] want to scold Beijing. Cambodia, for example, remains firmly on the side of China ". Last June Beijing gave $ 600 million in Phnom Penh for its support.
China, meanwhile, has reaffirmed its commitment to deepen ties with the Asean community, on the anniversary of 25 years of diplomatic talks. In 1991, China became the first strategic partner of the newly formed Assembly of the Southeast Asian countries. Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has called for a further 25 years of "new opportunities and new challenges."
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