China, Asean gear up for Spratlys code of conduct meet

Foreign ministers of China and member-states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) are set to meet on January 24 and 25 in Kunming, China, where they will try to forge a more binding agreement to maintain peace and stability in the disputed Spratlys islands. The two-day meeting was called by Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi, to coincide with the 20th-year celebration of the bilateral cooperation between Beijing and the Asean. Expected to attend the meeting are foreign ministers of the Philippines, Indonesia, Burma/Myanmar, Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. In a reception Friday for the Chinese New Year, Chinese Ambassador to Manila Liu Jianchao said officials who form the working group for the formulation of the Spratlys agreement “will work on follow up measures to the DOC (Declaration of Conduct of Parties to the South China Sea)." China and the Asean signed the DOC in November 2002 to maintain the status quo over the disputed Spratlys, a group of islets in the South China Sea, which are believed to be rich in oil and gas deposits. These islands are claimed in whole by China, Taiwan, and Vietnam, while portions are claimed by Malaysia, Brunei, and the Philippines. Despite the DOC, however, China has built military facilities on the islands before, prompting protests from other claimant countries and demands to negotiate a legally binding Code of Conduct in the South China Sea. “The foreign ministers of China and Asean (will push) for a constructive approach in the negotiations (for a binding agreement on the Spratlys). We hope that such consultations will continue," Liu said. China and Asean have similarly tried to agree on a binding agreement during the Asean meeting hosted late last year in Vietnam. The agreement on the code of conduct, however, did not materialize as China reportedly opposed provisions put forth by Asean states. But Liu maintained that China has always been open to the proposed Code of Conduct that will be based on the agreement to be concluded by the working group. “The working group (is) working on appropriate follow up measures to the DOC. China is happy that all sides are taking a business like attitude in the negotiations," Liu said. In past years, the Philippine government has failed to take an uncompromising diplomatic stand over the Spratly islands, according to senior diplomat and former foreign affairs undersecretary Rodolfo Severino. In his recently-launched book titled “Where in the world is the Philippines?," Severino said that the country should finally settle its maritime and territorial boundary, to allow it to effectively negotiate its stand in the Spratly islands disputes. — TJD/JA, GMANews.TV