Wang Yi urges Asean to unite vs outsiders plotting to stir up trouble

China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi  AFP

Members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nation (Asean) need to “stand together” against regional outsiders who “want to stir up trouble” in the South China Sea, China’s top diplomat said on Tuesday.

In his two-day visit to the Philippines, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Association of Southeast Asian Nation (Asean) countries “have full capability and wisdom to handle differences” and “maintain stability in the South China Sea.”

“If there are still some non-regional forces in the region that don’t want to see stability in the South China Sea and they still want to stir up trouble in the South China Sea, we need to stand together and say no to them together,” Yi said in his speech.

“In waters where there is overlapping of maritime rights and interests, if one party goes for unilateral development, then the other party will take the same actions and that might complicate the situation at sea that might lead to tensions and as a result nobody might be able to develop the resources,” he added.

Yi met with his Filipino counterpart, Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano, to sign a memorandum of understanding between China and the Philippines.

Yi said the situation in the South China Sea is “heading towards stability” because of the recent improvement in China and Philippines’ relationship.

The implementation on the Declaration on the Declaration on the Conduct of the Parties in the South China Sea is making important progress and the framework for the Code of Conduct is also taking shape, the minister said.