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Activities of the Claimants

China

China: “Regional hostilities must be resolved by political means”

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Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland on January 21st, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said that China's slowing economy reflected the broader, global situation and promised that he would forge ahead with major reforms to boost growth prospects. He added that China did not intend to compete with other countries for supremacy. Regional hostilities must be resolved by political means, he said.

China urges U.S. to be impartial in South China Sea

A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson on January 22nd urged non-parties to stick to an objective and impartial stance over the South China Sea issue. Non-parties should contribute to mutual trust, cooperation, regional peace and stability instead of sowing discord or fanning flames, said spokeswoman Hua Chunying at a routine press briefing. Hua's remarks came after U.S. assistant secretary of state Daniel Russel on January 21st said that "bigger nations can't bully the small" in the South China Sea. China has always stood for equality of all countries, big and small, said Hua. Bigger countries should not bully the small, and the small should not make trouble out of nothing, she stressed. Countries are equal not only in their rights but also in abiding by international rules, said the spokeswoman.

China's leadership warns of unprecedented national security risks

The Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee  convened on January 23rd for a meeting on security, it was presided over by President Xi Jinping who is also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee. According to a statement issued after the meeting, risks were unpredictable so the country must always be mindful of potential dangers. The statement said China will protect its security in "a pattern [consistent] with Chinese characteristics", firmly protect its core interests -- with the safety of its people as its main mission -- and safeguard national security through reform and economic development.

Vietnam

VN reiterates it’s stance on East Sea (South China Sea) issue

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Vietnam firmly requests China immediately desist upgrade and construction projects that damage or destroy the status quo of Truong Sa archipelago and not repeat similar erroneous actions, Foreign Ministry’s Deputy Spokesperson Pham Thu Hang said. She reiterated that Vietnam has sufficient legal and historical evidence affirming its sovereignty over Truong Sa (Spratly) and Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelagos during a regular press briefing in Hanoi on January 22nd. Vietnam firmly requests China respect its sovereignty and seriously abide by the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea, she said.

The Philippines

Philippines slams China island building as Beijing hits back

Philippine foreign minister Albert del Rosario on January 22nd repeated a warning that Beijing was reclaiming land around isolated reefs in the South China Sea to turn them into islands which could hold fortified positions or even airstrips. The Philippine foreign secretary said the Chinese actions in the Spratly islands would impact freedom to navigate the strategic mineral-rich waters, through which large volumes of the world's trade pass. "I will re-emphasise this and invite the concern of ASEAN states because it is a threat to all of us," del Rosario told reporters.

The U.S.

US hopes Malaysia’s ASEAN chairmanship could prompt maritime Code of Conduct

Speaking at Kuala Lumpur, US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Russel said that Malaysia, as a founding member of ASEAN as well as a claimant in the South China Sea maritime dispute, had a big stake in ensuring the passing of the Code of Conduct (COC) as a way to safeguard the region’s peace and stability. “We hope that Malaysia can be a model for responsible behaviour, where there is real restraint among claimants and (steps taken to avoid) actions that are threatening to neighbouring states or destablising to the region. This also means favouring real and measurable progress in establishing a CoC between the ten ASEAN countries and China that will be binding and that will govern the behaviour of all parties and all claimants. We very much hope that can be concluded this year under Malaysia’s chairmanship of ASEAN.”

Regional Snapshots

Phl, US hold two-day bilateral strategic dialogue

The Philippines and the United States on January 20th started their fifth Philippines-US Bilateral Strategic Dialogue (BSD) in Manila. US Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Russel and Assistant Secretary of Defense David Shear co-headed the US delegation, while Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs Evan Garcia and Undersecretary of Defense Pio Lorenzo Batino headed the Philippine delegation, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said. On January 21st, the two sides issued a joint statement reaffirming their steadfast commitment to the Mutual Defense Treaty of 1951 as reiterated in the November 2011 Manila Declaration and reiterated in the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA). They decided to continue mutually beneficial efforts to reinforce our respective national and collective defense capabilities, including countering terrorism; to strengthen maritime security and maritime domain awareness; and to enhance disaster risk management, disaster preparedness, and rapid response. In a press conference after the meeting, Philippine Defense Under Secretary Pio Lorenzo Batino said that “Chinese activities in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) continue to be of serious concern for the Philippine defense and military establishments especially arising from the recent reports of greater development of its reclamation projects”. Philippine Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Evan Garcia stated that the massive reclamation by China in the South China Sea is a clear violation of DOC and it is not helpful in terms of finding a way forward. U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Russel said that the U.S. “look forward to the day when China and its neighbors will conclude a binding code of conduct. But in the meantime, we think there is a powerful case to be made for the maximum exercise of restraint”.

Vietnam, US hold 7th political, security, defence dialogue

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The seventh Vietnam-US Political, Security and Defence Dialogue took place in Hanoi on January 22nd-23rd under the chair of Vietnamese Deputy Foreign Minister Ha Kim Ngoc and US Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs Puneet Talwar. The two sides reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral relations in the spirit of friendship, mutual respect and trust as well as joint commitments for peace, stability, prosperity and security in Asia-Pacific. Regarding the South China Sea issue, both sides reaffirmed their common interests in maintaining peace, stability and aviation and navigation freedom, as well as in addressing disputes by peaceful diplomatic measures in line with international law, including the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea while avoiding unilateral provocative acts. They agreed to continue cooperating in law enforcement at sea, especially in capacity building to cope with disasters and carry out search and rescue. The next dialogue will be held in Washington in 2016.

Obama paid official visit to India

US President Barack Obama on January 25th arrived at Air Force Station Palam, India for the start of a three-day visit. On the same day, Obama held a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In the joint statementafter the meeting, the two sides affirmed that a closer partnership between the United States and India is indispensable to promoting peace, prosperity and stability in those regions. They also stressed on the importance of safeguarding maritime security and ensuring freedom of navigation and over flight throughout the region, especially in the South China Sea. The two countries call on all parties to avoid the threat or use of force and pursue resolution of territorial and maritime disputes through all peaceful means, in accordance with universally recognized principles of international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea./.