Asean moves to defuse tensions in West Philippine Sea

BALI, INDONESIA—Southeast Asian nations yesterday moved to defuse tensions over rival claims to the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) as the Asean Regional Forum (ARF), Asia’s premier security forum, was set to open Saturday in the Indonesian resort island of Bali.

On the eve of the ARF, members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) and China reached a draft agreement to peacefully resolve competing territorial claims in the strategic sea, that includes hundreds of islets and reefs mostly located in the Paracel and Spratly archipelagos.

The sea is believed to be extremely rich in oil and gas deposits, as well as being home to shipping lanes linking East Asia with Europe and the Middle East that are vital to global trade.

China, which claims sovereignty over the entire West Philippine Sea, has been accused in recent months of trying to intimidate oil exploration by the Philippines and Vietnam in waters that are partially claimed also by those two countries and Taiwan, Brunei and Malaysia.

Beijing long has resisted calls for a binding code of conduct that would require disputes in the waterway to be solved peacefully and without threats of violence.

China and the 10 Asean members agreed in Bali on Wednesday to a set of guidelines aimed at defusing tensions.

Clinton commendation

US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton commended Beijing and Asean for the deal.

“I want to commend China and Asean for working so closely together to include implementation guidelines for the declaration of conduct in the South China Sea,” Clinton said.

While most participants involved said the agreement was important, the guidelines were widely regarded as only a small step forward and not having altered the foundations of the dispute.

The West Philippine Sea has long been considered one of Asia’s potential military flash points.

Vietnam fought a brief 1998 naval battle with China on one of the reefs, leaving 50 Vietnamese sailors dead. Chinese naval vessels have also in the past fired on Vietnamese fishing boats in the area.

Tensions have flared again in recent months amid accusations by the Philippines and Vietnam that China had become increasingly aggressive in staking its claim to the sea.

The Philippines has accused Chinese forces of acts such as shooting at Filipino fishermen in the area and harassing an oil exploration vessel.

Vietnam said that, in one incident, Chinese sailors boarded a Vietnamese fishing boat and beat its captain before stealing the crew’s catch. Rare street protests against China have been held in Vietnam over the issue.

Last year, Clinton raised Beijing’s ire by saying resolution to the disputes was a US national security interest because of Washington’s desire to guarantee navigational safety and maritime security in the West Philippine Sea. She made the matter a central point of her participation in the East Asia Summit hosted by Vietnam, something that US President Barack Obama is expected to restate when he attends that event this year.

First step

US officials are keen to see the deal implemented but warned that much more work needed to be done. Clinton said she would lay out US ideas for making it work in a speech to the forum on Saturday.

“It’s an important first step,” Kurt Campbell, the top US diplomat for Asia, told reporters.

“It has lowered tensions. It has improved the atmosphere. But clearly it is just that, a first step, and we’re going to need to see some follow-up actions between China and Asean,” he said. Reports from AFP and AP