VIENTIANE, Oct 11 – 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.
