Beijing slams US, allies for ‘fanning flames’ of regional tension

BEIJING — Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has criticised the United States, Japan and Australia for issuing a joint statement on the South China Sea that he said was only “fanning the flames” of regional tension just as countries have agreed that the situation needs to cool down.

Mr Wang said in a statement posted on Wednesday on the Chinese Foreign Ministry’s website that the move by the three countries came at an inappropriate time and was not constructive.

“Now it is the time to test whether you are peacekeepers or troublemakers,” said Mr Wang, referring to the three countries.

The trilateral statement had urged China not to construct military outposts and reclaim land in the disputed waters, signalling a strong show of support for members of the Association of South-east Asian Nations (Asean) that have territorial disputes with Beijing in the area.

Expressing “strong support” for the rule of law, the three countries also called on China and the Philippines to abide by the international arbitration panel’s ruling earlier this month which invalidated Beijing’s expansive claims in the regional waterway, saying that the decision was “final and legally binding on both parties”.

The statement came hours after Asean foreign ministers broke a weekend deadlock to issue a joint communique on the territorial dispute following an annual meeting in Laos.

The Asean statement did not mention the tribunal ruling but called for the peaceful resolution of disputes, including “full respect for legal and diplomatic processes”, without resorting to the threat or use of force and in accordance with international law.

In a sharp rebuke yesterday of the statement by the US and its allies, Mr Wang said: “On the one hand, regional countries are determined to enhance cooperation and want to see the South China Sea situation cool down, on the other hand, this trilateral statement is fanning the flames.”

He dismissed the trilateral statement’s assertion that the ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration is binding, adding that countries in the region have resisted choosing sides on the arbitration case, believing that it is a bilateral issue between China and the Philippines.

“This trilateral statement came at a highly inappropriate time and conforms in no way with the development of the situation,” he said.

“This statement is inconsistent with the efforts being made by regional countries to safeguard stability in the South China Sea, inconsistent with the aspiration of regional people to lower the temperature surrounding the South China Sea situation, and inconsistent with the constructive role that non-regional countries should play.”

Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also have claims to the South China Sea, a vital waterway through which US$5 trillion (S$6.8 trillion) in annual trade passes. It is also believed to sit atop vast reserves of oil and gas.

Philippines’ Foreign Minister Perfecto Yasay said yesterday that Manila had “vigorously pushed” for the inclusion of a comment on the arbitration ruling in the Asean statement this week but did not want to press the issue and risk dividing the group or provoke China.

“I am just saying this to dispel the reports that have been said that China came out victorious in the Asean meeting because we precisely agreed to not mentioning the arbitral award,” said Mr Yasay at a news conference. “But that (was) not the object of our meeting in Asean. The arbitral award is a matter between China and the Philippines.”

Speaking later at a news conference with US Secretary of State John Kerry, Mr Yasay said there were no losers in Laos and the issuance of the joint communique was a triumph for the 10-member bloc.

“It makes Asean more credible to the international community and makes it more effective and relevant as a regional group,” he said.

Mr Kerry said he was very satisfied that Asean could issue a joint communique that championed the rule of law, and its omission of reference to the Philippines’ arbitration case against China did not detract from its importance.

The fact that Asean issued a statement was a success because it covered “every single value of the rule of law”, he said.

He reiterated that the ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration was legally binding, and not irrelevant.

“The decision itself is a binding decision but we’re not trying to create a confrontation. We are trying to create a solution mindful of the rights of people established under the law,” Mr Kerry said, adding that the US wanted China and the Philippines to engage in talks and “confidence-building measures”.

“We hope to see a process that will narrow the geographic scope of the maritime disputes, set standards for behaviour in contested areas, lead to mutually acceptable solutions, perhaps even a series of confidence-building steps,” he said. AGENCIES