Vietnam has made a bold move against China at the annual foreign ministers’ meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) and pushed for a stronger stand against Chinese expansionism in the South China Sea.
Vietnam has made a bold move against China at the annual foreign ministers’ meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) and pushed for a stronger stand against Chinese expansionism in the South China Sea.
Hanoi made its move in unscheduled and informal talks late on Friday night when it asked to insert tough language against Beijing in the usual communique that the regional bloc releases after top-level meetings.
The communique had not been released at press time, but according to a copy of a draft obtained by Agence France-Presse (AFP) , Vietnam lobbied for the Asean to express “serious concern” over China’s ramped-up construction of artificial islands in the disputed waters.
Vietnam also wanted the Asean to insist in the communique that the planned code of conduct in the South China Sea among claimant-nations be legally binding, which Beijing opposed.
“The discussions were really hard. Vietnam is on its own to have stronger language on the South China Sea. Cambodia and the Philippines are not keen to reflect that, ” one diplomat involved in the talks told AFP.
Alongside Vietnam, the Philippines used to be the most vocal critic of Beijing’s expansionism.
But under President Rodrigo Duterte, the Philippines has sought to downplay the dispute with China in return for billions of dollars in Chinese investments and aid.
Diplomatic maneuvering
China has in recent years also successfully lobbied other Asean nations, particularly Cambodia, to support its diplomatic maneuvering in the dispute.
Various diplomats said Vietnam was likely to lose its battle to insert the strong language against China, with the Philippines as host of the talks wielding greater influence.
The bloc instead released a separate statement strongly urging North Korea to comply with UN resolutions on its nuclear tests and program.
The Asean is set this weekend to adopt a framework for a code of conduct with China, which is meant to pave the way for more concrete action.
