East Sea – Weekly Review (24-30/6)

– Speaking after the visit to China of Foreign Minister of the Philippines (PLP) Peter Cayetano, Foreign Minister of China (29/6) stressed that two countries have established bilateral mechanisms for consultation on East Sea issues and cooperation mechanisms between the coast guards. PLP Secretary Cayetano said that improving relations with China recently could lead to peace and stability in the East Sea and in the area.

The ASEAN Regional Security Forum in Manila (29/6) opened with the participation of the ASEAN countries; At the meeting, participants shared common view that maritime security in general and the South China Sea dispute in particular would be a common security challenge in the region and called on all concerned parties to resolve the issue by peaceful measures, on the basis of respect for international law, in particular the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) and the Code of Conduct in South China Sea (COC). (Reuters).

The ASEAN Regional Security Forum in Manila 

– Speaking at the Australian Strategic Policy Center in Brisbane (28 June), commander of the Pacific Command, Admiral Harry Harris accused China of strengthening its combat capability and position advantage to assert sovereignty over disputed territorial claims in the South China Sea; Declared that the United States resolutely opposed the threat of sovereign advantage.

Straits Times (28/6) cited that, Law Professor at the Australian National University, Donald R. Rothwell proposed the establishment of a 15-member “East Sea Committee” capable of handling disputes at both bilateral and regional levels, with the task of mediating and adjudicating disputes of parties in the South China Sea. Accordingly, each party in the South China Sea claims group would appoint a board member, while the remaining nine members would be appointed from outside the region. As suggested by Professor Rothwell, the scope of the South China Sea Commission could extend to land and sea disputes, including islands, rocks and other marine entities such as shallow and rocky beaches. (Xinhua News Agency, China Daily)

– Prior to the visit to the United States by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (24 June), Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman (June 23) warned India not to interfere in the South China Sea issue. “Non-regional countries should respect the efforts of the involved countries to maintain peace and stability in the region.”

At the World Peace Forum held at Beijing’s Tsinghua University, China’s Deputy Foreign Minister Zhang Yesui (June 24) affirmed that the situation in the South China Sea was stable; any strength demonstrations are not welcome in the region and China “strongly opposes any challenge to China’s sovereignty in the South China Sea”.

PLP and Vietnam Navy joined the sport exchange on Song Tu Tay Island (Truong Sa archipelago). This was the third time the two countries’ navy had been engaged in sports exchanges since 2014 and was part of an exchange program and cooperation between the two navies.

Sport exchange on Song Tu Tay Island 

A number of newspapers cited comments of some experts related to Japan’s inviting military officials from 10 ASEAN countries to patrol in the South China Sea that Japan was making the ASEAN countries mislead that China was the cause of instability in the South China Sea and ASEAN should cooperate with the United States and Japan to contain China; Japan is seeking military cooperation to boost arms sales, but this will make the region more volatile. (India Times, Ibtimes, The Diplomat, Reuters, Xinhua)

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