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ASEAN foreign ministers called for restraint and non-militarization in the South China Sea in a joint statement that reached the end of their annual meeting, with several voicing concern over “land claims, activities and incidents. serious in the area “.
Such activities eroded trust and increased tensions, they said.
The ministers also highlighted the need to seek a peaceful resolution of disputes in accordance with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and the United States later assured that it was alongside Asean in the defense of the rule. Of law.
The statement, which did not address either China or the US, was released a day after the conclusion of the 53rd ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting, one of several annual regional meetings held last week. place practically due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
China’s territorial claims, which span almost the entire South China Sea and clash with those of ASEAN countries Vietnam, the Philippines, Brunei and Malaysia, were rejected as illegal by an international arbitral tribunal in 2016, a ruling that The United States explicitly supported. for the first time in July this year.
On Friday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo emphasized America’s “enduring commitment to ASEAN” in upholding the rule of law, respect for sovereignty and transparency in the South China Sea and the Mekong region.
“We support our ASEAN partners as we insist on the rule of law and respect for sovereignty in the South China Sea, where Beijing has carried out aggressive campaigns of coercion and environmental devastation,” it said in a statement.
Tensions between the US and China have risen dramatically in recent months, due to a wide range of issues including espionage, Chinese social media apps, a national security law for Hong Kong, and China’s military build-up. in the South China Sea.
Last month, the United States announced sanctions on 24 Chinese state-owned companies linked to the construction and militarization of outposts on artificial islands in the South China Sea. China responded by firing a series of missiles into the South China Sea.
During the meeting of US and ASEAN foreign ministers on Thursday, Pompeo urged ASEAN to reconsider dealing with Chinese companies “that intimidate the coastal states of ASEAN in the South China Sea.”
He also said Washington is deeply concerned about the 12 Hong Kong democracy activists who have been detained in China, noting that they have been denied access to lawyers.
“We also reiterate that the imposition by the Communist Party of China of draconian national security legislation has erased Hong Kong’s autonomy,” he said, referring to Chinese law targeting acts deemed secessionist, subversive, terrorist or foreign collusion.
He also said that the United States plans to co-host with Vietnam the third Indo-Pacific Business Forum, which aims to encourage millions of dollars in US investment. Washington will also provide $ 5 million (S $ 6.8 million) for vocational training under a Southeast Asian Young Leaders Initiatives Academy in Vietnam.
Regional observers said the call to boycott certain Chinese companies was unlikely to be well received by ASEAN countries, who are generally wary of being drawn into competition from great powers.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told ASEAN ministers on Wednesday that the United States was interfering in the South China Sea and pushing its militarization.
Meanwhile, Pompeo also pointed to North Korea and Myanmar as challenges facing the region. It urged North Korea to end the provocations and enter into sustained negotiations to achieve full denuclearization, and expressed concern about the continuing violence in Myanmar’s Rakhine State.
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