Southeast Asia’s top diplomats will seek talks “as soon as possible” on a proposed nonaggression pact with China aimed at preventing rival claims in the South China Sea from erupting into conflict and will likely hold back on criticism of China’s aggressive acts in the heavily disputed waters during their…
Southeast Asia’s top diplomats will seek talks “as soon as possible” on a proposed nonaggression pact with China aimed at preventing rival claims in the South China Sea from erupting into conflict and will likely hold back on criticism of China’s aggressive acts in the heavily disputed waters during their summit in Manila this weekend.
An initial draft of a joint communiqué to be issued by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) foreign ministers seen by reporters on Wednesday says they would ask senior diplomats to immediately initiate talks on a code of conduct in the South China Sea after their governments agreed on a framework of the accord with China in May.
Earnest discussions
The Asean ministers will ask their senior diplomats “to begin earnest discussions on a substantive and effective code of conduct on the basis of the framework as soon as possible, ” according to the draft communiqué.
The long-seething territorial disputes in the South China Sea, alarm over North Korea’s missile tests and the rise of Islamic radicalism in the region amid a deadly siege by Islamic State-inspired local terrorists in Marawi City are expected to grab the spotlight in the meetings of Asean foreign ministers and their Asian and Western counterparts starting Saturday.
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who is traveling to the region this week, will attend the Asean summit, the US state department said on Tuesday.
