Indonesian Defense Chief Seeks Multilateral Talks On Island Row

BALI, Indonesia (Nikkei)--The territorial dispute in the South China Sea should be resolved through multilateral discussions that include the U.S., Indonesian Defense Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro told The Nikkei in a recent interview.

Purnomo Yusgiantoro

Association of Southeast Asian Nations members and China have competing claims over the Spratly Islands. This issue is expected to be the main topic of discussion at the ASEAN foreign ministers meeting on Tuesday and the ASEAN Regional Forum meeting on Saturday. Indonesia will host this year's ASEAN summits.

Yusgiantoro sees the need for multilateral talks that include the U.S., pointing to developments on the Korean peninsula last year. The sinking of a South Korean warship and the shelling of South Korea's Yeonpyeong island were widely expected to lead to war, but the worst-case scenario was avoided because a framework for six-party talks was already in place, he said. The six-party talks on North Korean denuclearization include the two Koreas, the U.S., China, Russia and Japan.

China, which prefers to address the territorial dispute through bilateral talks, has been cautious about a multinational approach. Some ASEAN members support the Chinese side's stance on this issue. But multilateral talks would help defuse tensions between China and ASEAN members, Yusgiantoro said.

(The Nikkei July 19 morning edition)