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01/08/2018
23/03/2018
Despite the lack of an explicit reference to China's militarization of the West Philippine Sea, the ASEAN and Australia's joint statement brought out the strongest position on the contested waters, an analyst said.
The 10-member regional bloc and Australia released the "Sydney Declaration" at the end of the two-day ASEAN-Australia Special Summit.
In the joint declaration, the leaders reaffirmed the importance of maintaining and promoting peace, stability, maritime safety and freedom of navigation and overflight in the region.
"We emphasise the importance of non-militarisation and the need to enhance mutual trust and confidence, exercise self-restraint in the conduct of activities and avoid actions that may complicate the situation," the joint statement read.
The ASEAN and Australian leaders also called for an early conclusion of an effective Code of Conduct in the South China Sea.
Dindo Manhit, president of independent think tank Stratbase ADR Institute, said that the Sydney Declaration "raised the level of regional cooperation amidst a changing geopolitical environment where the Philippines is a major stakeholder."
"ASEAN’s unequivocal support for the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea and non-militarization springs a new momentum for the government and a strong message against actions that run counter to building regional trust and confidence," Manhit said
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The 3rd event in the Ocean Dialogue series focused on recent developments in the South China Sea from a legal perspective and how stakeholders could cooperate to manage disputes in the region.
Vietnam asks China, as a large nation in the region and the world, to perform its responsibility in maintaining peace and stability in the East Sea, stated Foreign Ministry’s Spokesperson Le Thi Thu Hang on May 8.
Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull asserted the right of the Australian navy to travel the South China Sea, after local media reported three Australian warships were challenged by the Chinese navy earlier this month.
Disclosure comes as Chinese military conducts what U.S. officials describe as its largest military exercise to date in South China Sea.
China and Vietnam vowed on Sunday (Apr 1) to keep the peace in the South China Sea, the resource-rich waterway that has long been a source of tension between Hanoi and its powerhouse communist neighbour.
Philippine Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano hailed a “golden period” in ties with China on Wednesday despite differences over the South China Sea as the countries discussed how they might conduct joint development projects in the disputed waters.
