At the three panel discussions, scholars analysed current maritime security challenges, especially in the East Sea where China has ramped up activities threatening peace, security and stability in the region. They underscored the need to comply with the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea so as to resolve sea-related security challenges, thereby helping maintain peace, stability and sustainable development. Many opinions shared the view that as ASEAN is an important stakeholder in the East Sea issue, the bloc’s member nations should promote their cooperation and optimise such frameworks as the ASEAN Regional Forum and the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting.
They called on the regional countries to actively settle East Sea disputes through peaceful negotiations, which will also help ASEAN affirm its central role and growing stature in the world. At the symposium, participants also talked about ASEAN cooperation in fisheries, disaster prevention, navigation and customs.
The event was held following The Hague tribunal’s ruling on the East Sea-related lawsuit filed by the Philippines against China. Arif Havas Oegroseno, Indonesia’s Deputy Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Resources, told Vietnam News Agency that ASEAN nations which are involved in East Sea disputes need to take stronger actions by making clear commitments on conduct in the waters.
Sea-related matters are mentioned in legal documents, and countries who violate them can be sued if they are parties to commitments stated in international law on the sea, he added. Indonesia commits to pushing for COC finalisation and wishes that the document will be inked earlier and hoped the issue will be finalized during the ASEAN Summit in Vientiane, Laos, in early September.
Though Indonesia is not a party in dispute with China in the East Sea, it wants to play a vanguard role in ASEAN in pushing for negotiations and settlement of disputes between concerned sides. Joint work should be intensified to deal with regional security challenges, even in the East Sea and thorough preparations should be made to celebrate the 25th anniversary of ASEAN-China dialogue relations, particularly the commemorative summit slated for September in Laos.
Expressing concern over complicated developments in the East Sea and their obstacles, the Deputy PM called on ASEAN and China to increase dialogues and cooperation to deal with the issue while complying with commitments by concrete actions, particularly in the peaceful settlement of disputes in line with the law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
He urged for refrain from the use or threat to use forces, self-restraint and preventing actions that further complicate the dispute, particularly non-militarisation in the East Sea, full and effective implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and the early formulation of a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC).
The Vietnamese leader also pushed forward progress in bilateral talks on sea boundary delimitation. Participants expressed their delight at the outcomes of the implementation of the 2011-2015 Action Plan for the Joint Statement on the ASEAN-China Strategic Partnership, including the upgrade of the ASEAN-China free trade agreement.
China remains ASEAN’s biggest trade partner with a two-way trade of 470 billion USD which is expected to soar to 1 trillion USD by 2020. Ministers sought to further promote coordination across the fields of politics-security, economy, socio-culture and development. They committed to effectively materialising the 2016-2020 Action Plan and making thorough preparations for the Commemorative Summit for the ASEAN-China Relations to be held in Vientiane, Laos this September, including drafting the ASEAN-China Joint Statement on enhancing manufacturing capability, increasing collaboration via ASEAN mechanisms to deal with common challenges, contributing to peace, security and development in the region, including the East Sea.
The ASEAN foreign ministers shared the view that the maintenance of peace, stability, overflight and navigation security, safety and freedom in the East Sea is shared responsibility and interests of countries, firstly ASEAN and China. They expressed their concerns about recent complex happenings in the East Sea, especially land reclamation, large-scale constructions on rocks, militarization on man-made islands and actions affirming sovereignty not grounded on international law.
They asked ASEAN and China to show political will and greater efforts to ensure peace and security in the East Sea, comply with basic principles of international law, especially showing respect to legal and diplomatic processes and the 1982 UNCLOS.
They reaffirmed their commitment to managing disputes and preventing conflicts, as well as completing the drafting of the Declaration on the implementation of the Code for Unplanned Encounters at Sea to submit to the Commemorative Summit for approval, and launching a hotline among diplomatic officials to deal with contingencies in the East Sea.
