Kerry expresses ‘serious concern’ about situation in South China Sea

“China has already figured out how ASEAN works on the South China Sea, it knows how to divide us”.

ASEAN foreign ministers also held meetings with their counterparts from dialogue partners including China and the United States at a series of related meetings including the Post Ministerial Conferences, 16th ASEAN Plus Tree Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, the 5th East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers Meeting and 22nd ASEAN Regional Forum. It continues until Thursday.

Diplomats and analysts say this stance is aimed at preventing ASEAN from presenting a more united front. Some foreign ministers, including host Malaysia, said it was too important to ignore.

With China’s announcement that it has completed its massive reclamation in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea), the Philippines wants the economic giant to cease “construction” activities and other provocative acts in the disputed area. “He encouraged China, along with the other claimants, to halt problematic actions in order to create space for diplomacy”.

Kerry also said he could not confirm the Chinese statement that it has stopped land reclamation projects.

Though not on the official agenda, the South China Sea is among key issues likely to be discussed at the meeting, amid a backdrop of increasing tensions in the potentially energy-rich sea. “Just take an airplane to take a look”.

Information from Head of the South China Sea Institute, Director Wu Shicun, as reported by the Financial Times, suggests that foreign minister Wang Yi might not be so truthful in his assertive claims.

Critics have reacted to the news that China has halted its construction of artificial islands with some skepticism.

In his Thursday speech, Kerry stated that Wang’s commitment to resolving the South China Sea issue had not been as “fulsome” as some had hoped. He did not elaborate.

Several Asean members have expressed concern over Chinese construction to build up shoals or expand islets in areas disputed with neighbouring countries.

Southeast Asian nations were at loggerheads yesterday over how hard to press China on its contentious efforts to assert control over the flashpoint South China Sea, as the United States warned it would not tolerate efforts to control sea and air routes.

The long simmering dispute has flared at the Malaysia meet, attended by members of the 10-nation regional grouping as well as more than a dozen others including China, Japan, South Korea and the US. But the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei also have territorial claims.

Even before the land reclamations, China had sparked rising unease over the years with actions interpreted as seeking to shore up its disputed claims, in violation of a pledge not to upset the status quo.

“China is always committed to working with the countries concerned to resolve disputes through peaceful negotiation”, Wang told Kerry, according to a statement from the Chinese foreign ministry.

A draft of the communique made no mention of halting reclamation.

He stressed the need to maintain the security of sea lanes and fishing grounds and to settle disputes peacefully.

Recent satellite images show China has nearly finished building a 3,000-metre-long (10,000-foot) airstrip on one of its seven new islands in the Spratlys.

China, however, insists it has sovereignty over almost all of the South China Sea and accuses Washington of meddling in the regional issues and deliberately stirring up tensions in the region.