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South China Sea: Asean deadlock after court ruling against China South China Sea: Asean avoids mention of China ruling
(about 17 hours later)
South-East Asian nations have failed to agree a common position on Chinese claims to the South Sea China, after a court ruled against Beijing. After days of discord, South East Asian nations have released a watered down joint statement on the disputed South China Sea that avoids rebuking China.
The international tribunal supported a case brought by the Philippines this month, rejecting Chinese claims to rights in the sea. The Philippines had pushed for the 10-member Asean group to mention an international tribunal's recent rejection of China's claims in the sea.
At a meeting in Laos, foreign ministers from 10 states - the Asean group - were unable to reach a joint statement. But Chinese ally Cambodia had blocked such a move, in what is seen as a diplomatic victory for China.
Diplomats say Chinese ally Cambodia blocked any reference to the ruling. One Southeast Asian diplomat told AFP a "compromise" had been reached.
"It's really a loyalist of the big country C," a diplomat who attended closed-door meetings in the Laotian capital, Vientiane, told the Associated Press news agency. The statement says Asean remains "seriously concerned" over recent developments in the sea "which have eroded trust and confidence".
Asean ministers were meeting for the first time since the ruling on 12 July by the Permanent Court of Arbitration, which found there was no evidence that China had historically exercised exclusive control over the waters or resources. It does not mention China directly.
Asean foreign ministers were meeting for the first time since the ruling on 12 July by the Permanent Court of Arbitration, which found there was no evidence that China had historically exercised exclusive control over the waters or resources in a case brought by the Philippines.
China, which claims almost all of the South China Sea, including reefs and islands also claimed by others, called the ruling "ill-founded" and said it would not be bound by it.China, which claims almost all of the South China Sea, including reefs and islands also claimed by others, called the ruling "ill-founded" and said it would not be bound by it.
Asean (the Association of South-East Asian Nations) is made up of Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam. US Secretary of State John Kerry and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi are also in Laos for regional meetings.
Along with the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei also have claims on the South China Sea, as does the non-Asean island of Taiwan. Over the weekend it had been feared that Asean ministers would fail to issue a joint statement for just the second time in the grouping's history.
One regional analyst, Malcolm Cook at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies in Singapore, told AP the disagreement was hurting Asean's image.
"Certainly, Cambodia's paralysis of Asean... hurts Asean's unity, cohesion, relevance and reputation," he said. "It makes Asean peripheral, not central, on this issue."
Asean now has until Tuesday to come to an agreement, an unnamed diplomat told Reuters news agency.
Otherwise the association faces the rare prospect of being unable to issue a joint statement after a meeting for only the second time in its history.
The last time was in 2012, and also stemmed from Cambodian opposition to language used about the territorial dispute.The last time was in 2012, and also stemmed from Cambodian opposition to language used about the territorial dispute.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is holding individual talks with Asean counterparts in Vientiane in the meantime. Mr Wang had earlier praised Cambodia's support for China's stance, Xinhua news agency reported.
US Secretary of State John Kerry and Japanese Foreign Minister Fumiko Kishida are also due to hold talks on the sidelines of Asean. Beijing has in recent years provided generous aid packages and loans to Cambodia, one of the region's poorest countries.
Asean (the Association of South-East Asian Nations) is made up of Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam.
Along with the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei also have claims on the South China Sea, as does non-Asean Taiwan.