The leaked contents of a draft statement supposed to be delivered by the chair at the 25th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit to be held in Myanmar’s administrative capital Naypyidaw on November 12, presents a more united ASEAN determined to push for the early conclusion of a Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea.
Four ASEAN member states — the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei — are involved in separate maritime disputes with an increasingly assertive China.
Based on the alleged draft statement, the ASEAN leaders are to express concern over recent developments in the South China Sea and reaffirm the importance of regional cooperation in maintaining peace and stability.
“We expressed our concerns over recent developments in the South China Sea, which have increased tensions in the area,” the statement reads. “We reaffirmed the importance of regional cooperation in maintaining peace and stability, promoting maritime security and safety, and the freedom of navigation, including in and over-flight above the South China Sea.”
Further, the draft says the ASEAN leaders urge all parties involved in the disputes to exercise self-restraint, settle the issue through peaceful means and in accordance with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Conventions on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
The leaders also highlight the importance of maintaining the momentum of negotiations and in achieving early a COC.
source: Manila Bulletin
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