US Defence Secretary Carter to cruise on US warship near disputed sea

The 10-member Association of South East Asia Nations (ASEAN) scrapped a joint statement to be issued after their meeting on Wednesday because they were unable to agree on whether it should refer to the South China Sea dispute or not.

Japan and China’s defense ministers agreed Wednesday on the need to quickly set up a maritime communications link to prevent accidental collisions of fighter planes and warships belonging to the two nations.

Last week, the USA guided missile destroyer USS Lassen sailed close to one of the China-built islands, flaring up tensions between the super powers over the disputed waters.

Ministers from Malaysia and the Philippines backed the US naval patrol, while Indonesia’s Ryacudu said communication is important and the USA must abide by laws of the sea when carrying out patrols.

China claims most of the South China Sea, through which more than $5 trillion in global trade passes every year.

Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Brunei and Taiwan all also have various claims, a few overlapping, though none are as extensive as Beijing’s.

China’s territorial claims are widely disputed, and the Chinese island-building push has sent fears of conflict to new heights.

A United States official said Mr. Chang responded by warning that there was a “bottom line” below which Beijing would act to defend the islets, but the U.S. delegation has told reporters this would not deter future visits.

Carter denied responsibility for the failure of the forum to come up with a joint declaration, saying it was ASEAN ministers who made the call.

“The Chinese side expressed its rejection under the understanding that the South China Sea issues are basically matters pertaining to diplomatic authorities and this matter should not be reflected on the document of defense authorities’ forum”, the official added.

The larger gathering had ended on a bitter note, after ASEAN member countries could not agree on whether they should include a clause on China’s South China Sea activities in their final statement.

“What we sign on the joint declaration is not going to resolve the issue of duplicating claims nor is it going to wish vessels that are in the South China Sea away”, Hishammuddin said, The Associated Press reported.

“Understandably a number of ASEAN countries‎ felt that was inappropriate”. Malaysia is now negotiating to release an agreement that is acceptable to China and the United States, according to a senior Malaysian official.

But China said “certain other countries” had interfered.

Carter was to take the 30-minute flight from the Malaysian state of Sabah to the USS Theodore Roosevelt aboard an Osprey, a tilt-rotor aircraft that can take off and land like a helicopter but fly like a plane.