Asean, Japan reaffirm support for int’l law amid deadlock in sea row

TOKYO, Japan — As the Indo-Pacific remains in a deadlock over the South China Sea row, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) and Japan have reaffirmed their support for international law. 

The Commemorative Summit for the 50th Year of Asean-Japan Friendship and Cooperation culminated in a Joint Vision Statement. Asean-Japan said that it saw a future wherein countries can pursue peace, prosperity, and democracy. 

“We reaffirm our commitment to uphold international law, including the United Nations Charter and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea,” said the countries in the skint statement. 

“We affirm the shared view to promote a rules-based Indo-Pacific region that is free and open,” they added.  

The countries hope to further concretize these efforts through security cooperation and maritime security cooperation. 

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Asean-Japan also hoped to strengthen “cooperation on disarmament and non-proliferation, and working towards a world without nuclear weapons.” 

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In addition to this, the countries agreed to enhance cooperation to bolster human rights and democracy, cybersecurity, counter terrorism and more. 

The countries reaffirmed its support for international law following a year of heightened aggression from China in the West Philippine Sea, with the Philippines bearing the brunt of Beijing’s aggressive tactics. 

The shared vision also aimed to bolster people to people relationships across generations in the Asean and Japan, which include efforts like scholarship programs, academic exchanges, career development changes and more.