China asks Asian bloc to guard against chaos of “outside intervention”
July 26, 2016, 5:30 am

Myanmar State Counselor and Foreign Minister Aung San Suu Kyi (L) attends the meeting between Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his counterparts from 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Vientiane, capital of Laos, on July 25, 2016 [Xinhua]

“Outside intervention is one of the root causes for turbulence in many regions of the world,” Wang said at a meeting of ASEAN Foreign Ministers referring indirectly to US efforts in the region that Beijing claims is creating trouble.

Wang attended the 49th ASEAN foreign ministers’ meet in the Laos capital of Vientiane.

ASEAN nations have refused a US-backed proposal to mention the Hague tribunal ruling against Beijing’s territorial claims in the South China Sea in a joint statement.

Outsiders can withdraw if turbulence emerges in a region, leaving the regional countries to deal with the aftermath, the Chinese top diplomat Wang warned on Monday.

Countries in East Asia have managed to maintain peace and achieve development through concerted efforts by all countries in the region.

The Chinese Foreign Minister also warned against efforts to “divide relations between China and ASEAN”.

“It seems like certain countries from outside the region have got all worked up, keeping the fever high… This page has to be turned over … The hype has to cool down,” he said.

“We should hold the key to promoting regional peace and stability in our own hands,” he added.

Wang referred to the upgraded version of the China-ASEAN free trade area (FTA) as an example of “pragmatic cooperation” between China and ASEAN.

The two sides could also further promote the ASEAN integration based on the Lancang-Mekong cooperation mechanism and jointly safeguard peace and stability in the region, he said.

The United States had earlier on Monday urged ASEAN to make a reference to the July 12 ruling by the UN-backed Permanent Court of Arbitration.

The communique referred instead to the need to find peaceful resolutions to disputes in the South China Sea in accordance with international law, including the United Nations’ law of the sea. China is a signatory to this UN sea treaty while the US is not.

“We remain seriously concerned about recent and ongoing developments and took note of the concerns expressed by some ministers on the land reclamations and escalation of activities in the area, which have eroded trust and confidence, increased tensions and may undermine peace, security and stability in the region,” the ASEAN communique said.

ASEAN Secretary General Le Luong Minh said that the communique was not a victory for China, but for ASEAN’s values and principle of finding consensus.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (6th L) and other attendees of the meeting between Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his counterparts from 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) pose for photos in Vientiane, capital of Laos, on July 25, 2016 [Xinhua]

In a meeting with host Laos’ Foreign Minister Saleumxay Kommasith, US Secretary of State John Kerry “urged ASEAN to reach consensus and issue a joint statement on the arbitral tribunals recent ruling on the South China Sea”, said US State Department spokesman Mark Toner.

Meanwhile, China and ASEAN also released the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea.

Both sides have agreed to refrain from “action of inhabiting on the presently uninhabited islands, reefs, shoals, cays, and other features and to handle their differences in a constructive manner”, said the statement.

TBP and Agencies