Foreign ministers of Southeast Asian nations on Saturday expressed their concern over growing tensions in the South China Sea, which they said could threaten regional peace.
“We closely follow with concern the recent developments in the South China Sea that may undermine peace, security, and stability in the region,” top diplomats of the ASEAN’s member-nations said in a statement.
The members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) issued the statement after China and the Philippines traded accusations in recent months over a series of maritime run-ins, and as Manila said it needed to change its approach because diplomatic efforts have not worked.
China, on the other hand, has described the accusations as “purely false hype,” and warned that it will not turn a blind eye to repeated “provocations and harassment” by the Philippines.
ASEAN foreign ministers affirmed the need for parties involved to “exercise self-restraint in the conduct of activities that would complicate or escalate disputes.”
“We reiterate the importance of peaceful dialogue that contributes constructively to the promotion of regional stability and cooperation in the maritime domain,” the statement said.
ASEAN and China have worked towards creating a code of conduct in the South China Sea, a plan dating back to 2002. However, progress has been slow despite a commitment by all parties to advance and speed up the process.
Talks on the components of the code have yet to start amid concerns over China’s willingness to commit to a binding set of rules consistent with international law.
China has insisted on its massive claims over most of the South China Sea through a “nine-dash-line” that loops as far as 1,500 km south of its mainland, cutting into the exclusive economic zones of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam.
The dispute between the Philippines and China has heightened over the issue of the West Philippine Sea, part of the South China Sea that falls within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.
In February, the Philippines accused the China Coast Guard (CCG) of directing a “military-grade laser” at its troops living aboard the BRP Sierra Madre, an aging warship that Manila deliberately grounded on the disputed Ayungin Shoal (Second Thomas Shoal) in 1999.
On Aug. 5, the Philippines accused CCG of blocking and firing a water cannon against a supply boat transporting food for troops on Ayungin Shoal (known in China as Renai Reef).
In September, the Philippines accused CCG of installing a “floating barrier” near Bajo de Masinloc (Scarborough Shoal), and removed the barrier.
On Oct. 15, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said a Chinese navy ship shadowed and attempted to cut off a Philippine Navy vessel conducting a resupply mission near Pag-asa Island.
From Oct. 22-24, the Philippines accused CCG vessels of intentionally colliding with its vessels routinely supplying forces stationed at Ayungin Shoal.
From Dec. 9 to 10, the Philippines accused China of firing water cannons at its boats, including one carrying AFP chief of staff Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr., and ramming others, causing serious engine damage.
ACT Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro on Sunday slammed the continued tirades of China against the Philippines.
“China is again spewing lies to counter the international backlash it is now under due to the exposure of its aggressive and dangerous actions in the West Philippine Sea,” she said.
Based on reports, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of National Defense issued separate statements to assert Beijing’s ‘undisputable claim’ to Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal and Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal, which are well within the Philippines’ 370-kilometer exclusive economic zone, she noted.
“Yet again, China is using its delusional claims to Ayungin Shoal and Panatag Shoal, when no country in the world recognizes its claim to these areas, which are well within the exclusive economic zone of the Philipines. No stretch of the imagination can change that,” she said.
“The issue of the South China Sea is also not a mere bilateral issue because the area is a main shipping lane for many countries. There are also numerous claimants on the different part of the South China Sea like Taiwan (Republic of China), Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam. These already debunk China’s supposed ‘undisputable’ claim. Now add to this the 2016 arbitral ruling and China’s claim goes straight to the trash bin,” she said.
She also questioned China’s assertion that its maritime and naval forces have been professional and responsible in their conduct.