The Association of Southeast Asian Nations should use the international court's rejection of China's claims to almost all the South China Sea as basis for a code of conduct, Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said on Thursday. Current top breaking Philippine headlines…
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations should use the international court’s rejection of China’s claims to almost all the South China Sea as basis for a code of conduct, Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said on Thursday. Australia did not take sides in the South China Sea disputes, Bishop said, but it wanted to see « de-escalation of tension, » reiterating its opposition to China’s militarization of man-made islands in the waters. « Australia certainly does not support militarization of any part of the features of the South China Sea, » she said. However, she said that ASEAN « should drive for an enforceable code of conduct. » China and the 10-member ASEAN have been discussing for almost 15 years a set of rules aimed at avoiding conflict among rival claimants in the South China Sea. « Given the arbitration has set out some very clear recommendations and findings, that can form the basis of the code of conduct, » Bishop said at a forum. « There is a discussion to conclude a framework with China this year. I would urge the ASEAN and the Philippines’ leadership to go further and conclude a code of conduct as soon as possible.
