Japan must support ASEAN on rules to deal with China

The Yomiuri Shimbun

To defuse tensions between China and neighboring countries over territorial rights in the South China Sea, it is indispensable to reinforce international rules and urge China to exercise self-restraint.

At a series of foreign ministerial meetings of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and related countries held on the island of Bali, Indonesia, last week, China's naval advance was a major focus of talks.

Foreign Minister Takeaki Matsumoto and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, for instance, called for settlement of disputes based on international rules, saying it is important to respect international laws and secure transparency.

Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi, however, maintained that safety and freedom of navigation in the sea are not threatened.

China argued confrontations in the South China Sea should be resolved only by the countries directly involved and there is no need for involvement of the wider international community.

Needless to say, the discussions did not result in an agreement.

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China's selfish acts

Especially this year, China's actions in the South China Sea have been aggressive. For instance, Chinese boats interfered with the activities of a Vietnamese oil exploration vessel. However, China justifies its actions as legitimate. Such selfish actions cannot be overlooked.

Japan and the United States need to closely cooperate with ASEAN nations in patiently urging China to agree on efforts to make more effective rules.

China and ASEAN in 2002 announced the "Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea." The declaration stipulates that parties will "resolve their territorial and jurisdictional disputes by peaceful means." However, the declaration is not legally binding.

To supplement the declaration, China and ASEAN agreed this time on "guidelines" on behavior to promote cooperation in the South China Sea, including resource development. The situation has advanced to a certain degree, but the agreement is still not sufficient.

ASEAN initially demanded the inclusion of "resolution of disputes by multiple countries" to compensate for the differences in strength between China and individual ASEAN members, but it was not realized.

It is suspected that China undermined ASEAN's united stance by, for instance, asking pro-China countries in the association to side with China in exchange for economic assistance programs.

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Japan's interests involved

ASEAN intends to begin negotiations with China to upgrade the 2002 declaration to a legally binding code of conduct. We think Japan should positively support ASEAN in this regard.

Japan cannot disregard disputes in the South China Sea as someone else's affair.

Japan has important sea lanes in the South China Sea. Japan itself has frictions with China, including strains over the Senkaku Islands in Okinawa Prefecture.

In November, a meeting of the East Asia Summit will be held with the participation of 18 countries including Japan, China and South Korea, as well as ASEAN members. Both the U.S. and Russian presidents will come to the meeting for the first time as official members.

Peace and stability in the South China Sea is a common benefit for all EAS participants. It is important to aim at creating a consensus toward making genuinely workable rules.

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, July 25, 2011)

(Jul. 26, 2011)