Aquino to raise Spratlys issue in ASEAN Summit

MANILA, Philippines—President Benigno Aquino III will bring up the Spratlys dispute at the upcoming 18th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said.

The DFA yesterday said Mr. Aquino will express during the May 7-8 meetings in Jakarta, Indonesia, the Philippines’ desire for “the effective and full implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties (DOC) in the South China Sea.”

“It is the country’s aspiration that this potential flashpoint be transformed into a zone of peace, friendship, freedom and cooperation,” the DFA said in a statement.

The Philippines is among six countries with claims, wholly or partly, on the Spratly group of islands, a reputedly oil-rich chain of tiny islands and reefs in the South China Sea. The other claimants are Brunei, China, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam.

In 2002, countries with claims on the Spratly islands signed the DOC, nonbinding guidelines on how to tackle disputes.

Mr. Aquino has repeatedly raised the topic of the South China Sea conflict in meetings with regional leaders, including those of Singapore and Indonesia.

In March, two Chinese vessels allegedly harassed a Philippine seismic research ship at Reed Bank, prompting the Philippines to send a plane and some of its coast guard ships to the area.

Last month, the Philippines lodged a formal protest at the United Nations over China’s claims to the Spratly islands and adjacent South China Sea waters, based on a map attached to a 2009 Chinese letter that delineated China’s claim.

The President’s will also push for ASEAN maritime connectivity patterned after Roll-on-Roll-off (RO-RO) linkages.

ASEAN is composed of Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam.

“It goes without saying that the success of the RORO linkages is dependent on enhancing maritime security and maintaining the integrity of ASEAN’s sea lanes,” the DFA said.

The Philippines has strongly advocated the creation of a “nautical highway” through the RO-RO concept in addition to road connectivity to complete the “missing links” in the region.