Southeast Asian and Australian leaders yesterday warned against actions that “endanger peace” in the South China Sea, following fresh confrontations between Beijing and the Philippines in contested waters.
Simmering tensions in the trade corridor threatened to boil over this week when Chinese boats near the Spratly Islands (Nansha Islands, 南沙群島), were accused of hounding Philippines vessels.
Beijing yesterday accused the US of using the Philippines as a “pawn to stir up trouble in the South China Sea” as hostilities between the Asian nations escalate over their territorial dispute.
Photo: AFP
China claims almost the entirety of the South China Sea, ignoring legal precedents and competing claims from Taiwan and a host of Southeast Asian nations.
The festering dispute poses one of the region’s most vexing security challenges, looming large during a three-day summit between Australia and the 10-nation ASEAN bloc.
“We encourage all countries to avoid any unilateral actions that endanger peace, security and stability in the region,” a joint declaration prepared by ASEAN members and Australia said.
“We recognize the benefits of having the South China Sea as a sea of peace, stability and prosperity,” it said.
When the summit began on Monday morning, Philippine Secretary of Foreign Affairs Enrique Manalo delivered a simple request to Beijing: “Stop harassing us.”
The following day, China Coast Guard boats were accused of harassing a flotilla of Philippine ships on a resupply mission.
The Chinese vessels were involved in two separate collisions and blasted one of the resupply boats with a water cannon, the Philippine Coast Guard said.
Bound to act by consensus, the ASEAN forum has long struggled to make inroads on the overlapping claims staked throughout the South China Sea, but the fraught atmosphere hanging over the region has some nations now pushing for the bloc to take a firmer stance.
Australia has proven increasingly willing to speak out against China.
“I am very concerned and Australia is concerned about any unsafe and destabilizing behavior in the South China Sea,” Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on the sidelines of the summit. “We need to make sure that activity in the South China Sea alleviates any tensions and doesn’t add to it.”
The surging conflict in junta-ruled Myanmar also continued to frustrate ASEAN leaders, whose efforts to resolve the crisis remain largely fruitless.
Junta leaders have essentially ignored the bloc’s five-point peace plan released in 2021.
“We strongly condemn the continued acts of violence and call for immediate cessation,” the joint declaration said.
“We call for effective humanitarian assistance and inclusive national dialogue,” it added.
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