China maritime tensions dominate ASEAN summit

Kuala Lumpur, April 27

Southeast Asian leaders edged closer to open criticism of China’s land reclamation in the disputed South China Sea at a regional summit on Monday, as the Philippines drew the ire of Beijing which called its objections to the work “unreasonable”.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in Kuala Lumpur, which was supposed to showcase the 10-member bloc’s progress towards economic integration, was overshadowed by the long-running maritime territorial dispute.

ASEAN’s renowned “consensus” approach has been tested over the South China Sea, with several members including host Malaysia reluctant to antagonise China, but diplomatic sources said Kuala Lumpur would eventually give in to pressure from some neighbours and address the reclamation issue at the meeting.

A statement to be issued after the closing ceremony later on Monday will say that reclamations have “eroded trust and confidence and may undermine peace, security and stability in the South China Sea”, according to a draft seen by Reuters.

“We reaffirmed the importance of maintaining peace, stability, security and freedom of navigation in and over-flight over the South China Sea,” it will say.

The draft seen by Reuters does not refer specifically to China, but would nonetheless be ASEAN’s strongest response yet on the controversial reclamations in the disputed waters. — Reuters

Sea of trouble

• China claims 90 per cent of the South China Sea, which is believed to be rich in oil and gas, with overlapping claims from Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Taiwan
• Recent satellite images show China has made rapid progress in building an airstrip suitable for military use in the Spratly Islands and may be planning another
• While many of the claimants have built facilities such as airstrips on some of the islets and shoals they occupy, China’s efforts have been by far the most extensive and dramatic