The Philippines followed up a summit of Southeast Asian leaders by releasing a final statement on Sunday that removed mention of international concerns over China’s “militarization” of newly built artificial islands in the disputed South China Sea in a major concession to Beijing.
The Philippines followed up a summit of Southeast Asian leaders by releasing a final statement on Sunday that removed mention of international concerns over China’s “militarization” of newly built artificial islands in the disputed South China Sea in a major concession to Beijing.
The 25-page statement issued by President Duterte, chair of this year’s Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) summit held in Manila on Saturday, also made no direct mention of Manila’s landmark arbitration victory over Beijing last year.
The “chairman’s statement, ” handed out instead of the customary joint communiqué issued by the Asean leaders after their annual summit, referred to China’s building artificial islands on disputed reefs in the South China Sea and topping them with airstrips, aircraft hangars, radar installations and surface-to-air missile batteries as “recent developments in the area.”
“We took note of concerns expressed by some leaders over recent developments in the area, ” the statement said. “We reaffirmed the importance of the need to enhance mutual trust and confidence, exercising self-restraint in the conduct of activities, and avoiding actions that may further complicate the situation, and pursuing peaceful resolution of disputes, without resorting to the threat or use of force.”
The big departure from the language of the earlier draft statement tended to support reports that China had lobbied Asean not to mention its activities in the South China Sea in its final statement.
The Associated Press (AP) said the changes were apparently based on a previous draft of the statement that it had seen.
It quoted a foreign diplomat based in Manila as saying that the Philippines circulated a stronger draft statement to other Asean member states, which was backed by countries like Vietnam.
Other governments made suggestions but Mr. Duterte, as Asean chair this year, could decide how to shape the language of the chairman’s statement, AP said, quoting the diplomat, whom it said spoke on condition of anonymity because of a lack of authority to discuss the issue publicly.
The watered-down statement came as Mr. Duterte sought to bury the hatchet with China after years of wrangling over its maritime assertiveness, including its four-year blockade of Panatag Shoal (Scarborough Shoal) , a rich fishing ground for Filipinos off the coast of Zambales province.
