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South China Sea dispute and ASEAN’s role
South China Sea dispute and ASEAN’s role
8/7/14
ASEAN is the only
regional organization in Southeast Asia with
10 official members. In the South China Sea dispute, there are 5 member states
of ASEAN participating as claimants of islands and overlapping seas: Vietnam, the Philippines,
Brunei, Malaysia, and Indonesia.
The South China Sea has been mentioned often in forums of
world politics and appears to be one of the most important issues on
international community’s agenda. South China Sea(SCS) dispute is
a dispute that comprises several states in eastern part
of Asia, such as China,
Taiwan, and some ASEAN
member states which are Philippines,
Malaysia, Vietnam, and Brunei Darussalam,
related to their legal claims over Spratly, Paracel, and the other islands in
the SCS. This dispute was originally indicated by Chinese unilateral claims
over its territorial sovereignty in theSCS through issuing a territorial map
marked with nine dotted lines which reflected whole area of SCS.This map
issuance instantly elicit a reaction from Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines,
Vietnam, and Taiwansince Chinese claims over it territorial jurisdiction
disrupted national sovereignty and exclusive economiczone (EEZ) over those
countries concerned.
Managing the
situation in the South China Sea has proven to
be difficult. In this context the role that the Association of Southeast Asian
Nations (ASEAN) can play is of particular interest. Some of the complexities
involved were displayed at the recent ASEAN meetings held in Cambodia.
Since the early 1990s ASEAN has sought
to pursue a proactive role in response to developments in the South
China Sea. ASEAN has done so through its statements relating to
developments in the area, through its dialogue with China, and through the ASEAN
Regional Forum (ARF) which held its first working meeting in 1994.
Among the ASEAN statements the most
important one is the “ASEAN Declaration on the South China
Sea” issued in 1992. The Declaration’s main feature is its
emphasis on the necessity to resolve the disputes by peaceful means without
resort to the use of force. Furthermore, all parties concerned are urged to
exercise restraint in order to create a positive climate for the eventual
resolution of all disputes in the area.
It has chosen to
mediate the conflict by leading disputants to a solution in peaceful ways
(workshops, negotiations, etc.). Annual meetings about this issue have been
opened since 1990 to 2001. ASEAN + 1 is an attempt of ASEAN members to include China,
the biggest claimant of the dispute, into the search for a real solution. Many
technical work groups and biodiversity projects aimed at bringing different
sides to one table. It seems to be the proper method which suits ASEAN’s
capacity. The most positive result achieved by ASEAN was the reaching of a
common code of conduct between the claimants ―“Declaration on the Conduct of
Parties in the South China Sea” (DOC) ― in
2002 where all countries involved agreed to deal with the problem in
peace and not to employ any coercive or hostile behavior. ASEAN called for
legal solutions based on UNCLOS (1982) – United Nations Convention on the Law
of the Sea.
It is true that
ASEAN is actively raising its voice in the area of conflict resolution. No
matter how its efforts have been judged, ASEAN’s active role in conflict
resolution is worthy of recognition. ASEAN has actively put itself in a
position to mediate, preventing hostilities occur in area. This is a noticeable
change in its pattern of behavior.
Regarding conflict
management in the South China Sea, ASEAN has
had several approaches. It has attempted to resolve the problem in a legal
manner, mediation facilitation (workshops), and a corporation project through
the Joint Development proposal. These efforts have increased ASEAN’s prestige
because it has been showing the activeness, sensitivity, and dynamism in
security issues.
ASEAN is also
working to balance different powers by establishing connections with not only
one major power. This balancing ability of ASEAN secured small countries from
domination of China
― the giant directly involved the dispute. However, ASEAN has been facing many
challenges which resulted from both external and intra-ASEAN factors. These are
also what limited ASEAN’s role in the South China Sea.
In order to
effectively implement its duty, ASEAN needs to be successful in two points.
First of all, it needs to improve its internal solidarity by establishing more
ties among member states not only in economic, politic, diplomatic but also in
the military aspect. The next thing ASEAN needs to do is balancing power. Using
the U.S.’s military presence
to constrain China’s
ambition, taking advantage of Japanese’s assistance to be independent
economically, and welcoming Indian and Russian support for its members’
military modernization are possible vehicles for ASEAN to secure peace in
the South China Sea and improve its influence.
Recent development
of the dispute has raised a new concern regarding the South
China Sea’s stability. December 2007, China
established the city of Sansha
as the administration of Spratly and Paracel islands.
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All comments [ 10 ]
It's the time ASEAN needs to show their roles and contribute to settle the South China Sea disputes peacefully.
ASEAN is the biggest regional organization not just in the Southeats Asia but in the Pacific Asia, it needs to prove itself now.
Vietnam also needs to show it's roles in ASEAN too.
In this context the role that the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) can play is of particular interest, managing the situation in the South China Sea has proven to be difficult.
he ongoing dispute over the South China Seas carried into the 24th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in the Myanmar.
ASEAN Foreign Ministers expressed their serious concerns over the on-going developments in the South China Sea, which have increased tensions in the area.
Myanmar so far has acquitted itself quite well as ASEAN chair. It has come under intense Chinese pressure to toe the line on the South China Sea, but Myanmar – as ASEAN Chair – is acting according to the current consensus.
ASEAN needs to do is balancing power, using the U.S.’s military presence to constrain China’s ambition, taking advantage of Japanese’s assistance to be independent economically, and welcoming Indian and Russian ones.
ASEAN will be united against China, I think so!
Regarding conflict management in the South China Sea, ASEAN has had several approaches. It has attempted to resolve the problem in a legal manner, mediation facilitation, and a corporation project.
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