ASEAN, Beijing Agree To Avoid Conflict In South China Sea -- Anwar

From Rosmalis Anuar

VIENTIANE, Oct. 11 (Bernama) -- ASEAN and Beijing have reached an agreement to avoid disputes in the South China Sea, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

He stated that China and all the member countries of the regional bloc have also agreed to use diplomatic channels and negotiations to resolve disputes in those waters during the 44th and 45th ASEAN Summits and Related Summits held here.

“I suggested, if possible, to use ASEAN channels, for example. Of course, some developments in the Philippines are concerning, and we have conveyed that.

“There is assurance from the Chinese Premier, Li Qiang, that this matter will be handled peacefully in line with the spirit of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) 1982,” he told Malaysian media on the final day of the summit, today.

Disputes in the South China Sea were among the key issues discussed by the 10 ASEAN countries and their dialogue partner, China, during the summit – with emphasis placed on the right to defend their respective national sovereignty.

Last August, the Philippines and China pointed fingers at each other over the collision of coastguard vessels near Sabina Shoal in the South China Sea, marking the fifth maritime confrontation between the two countries within a month.

The territorial affiliation of several islands and reefs in the South China Sea has been the subject of disputes between China, the Philippines, and several other Asia-Pacific nations for decades.

Regarding the conflict in Myanmar, Anwar said Malaysia emphasised efforts to increase engagement with stakeholders in Myanmar to resolve the country's crisis.

Myanmar showed positive developments by expressing its readiness to engage directly and actively with Malaysia, he said.

Anwar mentioned that he had instructed Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan to coordinate the negotiations.

"Although we are bound by the principles agreed upon by ASEAN leadership, namely the Five-Point Consensus (5PC), there must be an informal discussion at the highest level so we can clarify matters with them (Myanmar)," he said.

During the three-day summit, he noted that the Myanmar crisis was among the main topics of discussion, with a focus on maintaining peace in Southeast Asia.

Approximately 4,000 people have been killed, and nearly a million residents displaced since Myanmar's civilian government was abruptly overthrown in a military coup in February 2021. Malaysia is currently hosting around 200,000 Myanmar refugees.

In related developments, Anwar said Malaysia emphasised the importance of upholding ASEAN’s principle of independence at the 19th East Asia Summit (EAS) today.

He said this includes continuing good bilateral relations with the United States and the European Union while also strengthening ties with China.

"At the same time, we maintain relations with Russia, which some Western countries disapprove of, but I stressed that as a free and sovereign nation, we have the right to establish relations with everyone," he said.

The East Asia Summit involves 18 countries, including the 10 ASEAN nations, Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, Russia, South Korea, and the United States.

--BERNAMA