ASEAN, Australian leaders urge against ‘unilateral actions’ in South China Sea

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) – Leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Australia on Wednesday urged against taking any “unilateral actions” in the disputed South China Sea.

“We continue to closely follow developments in the South China Sea,” said a joint statement released at a special summit of the leaders in Melbourne.

“We encourage all countries to avoid any unilateral actions that endanger peace, security and stability in the region.”

Noting ASEAN foreign ministers’ statement on maintaining and promoting stability in the maritime sphere in Southeast Asia, the Melbourne Declaration said: “We recognize the benefits of having the South China Sea as a sea of peace, stability, and prosperity.”

Melbourne hosted a special summit of the ASEAN and Australia to mark 50 years of official relations between the Southeast Asian bloc and Canberra.

The declaration extended its support to the “full and effective” implementation of the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea “in its entirety.”

The declaration stressed the need to “maintain and promote an environment conducive” to the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC) negotiations, and the “importance of further progress towards the early conclusion of an effective, and substantive COC that is consistent” with international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

The statement came a day after a Chinese and a Philippines vessel collided in disputed waters of the vast mineral-rich sea with two sides blaming each other.

Beijing and Manila also exchanged reciprocal diplomatic protests with each other.

The two maritime neighbors have conflicting claims over the Second Thomas Shoal -- also known as Ayungin Shoal, Bai Co May, and Ren'ai Jiao -- which is a submerged reef in the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea.

Beijing claims vast maritime territory in the South China Sea under its so-called nine-dash line, which The Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration said in 2016, has no legal basis under international law.

China says the ruling is not valid and has been in negotiations with ASEAN since 2002 for a code of conduct for the disputed sea.

The Melbourne Declaration also affirmed the importance of maintaining and promoting peace, stability, and maritime safety and security, as well as freedom of navigation and overflight, in the region.

“We emphasize the importance of non-militarization and the need to enhance mutual trust and confidence, exercise self-restraint in the conduct of activities and avoid actions that may raise the risk of accidents, misunderstanding, and miscalculation and may complicate the situation,” it said.