FOREIGN Affairs Secretary Teodoro L. Locsin Jr. appealed to fellow members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) to view South China Sea as “a watery highway for trade and connection.”
Locsin reiterated the country’s commitment to the full implementation of the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC), during the Special Asean-China Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (SACFMM), which was held in Chongqing, China on June 7 to mark the 30th anniversary of Asean-China Dialogue relations.
He also favors the resumption of the momentum of negotiations for a Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC) “which were earlier affected by travel restrictions caused by Covid-19.”
Manila’s top envoy appealed for full support and sincere cooperation to achieve “our collective aspiration for the South China Sea to be a sea of peace, security, stability and prosperity; not a moat between the members of the family of Southeast Asian nations but a wide watery highway for trade and connection.”
As Country Coordinator, Locsin cochaired the SACFMM with China’s State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
“The Meeting marked accomplishments and milestones in 30 years of relations and reflected on the direction of future cooperation, which is among the most substantial in ASEAN’s external relations,” according to the statement released by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Wednesday.
Also, Covid-19 response and recovery were foremost on the agenda, with China pledging continued support to Asean Member States in their fight against the pandemic, primarily through the provision of vaccines.
The Ministers expressed concern about the situation in Myanmar and encouraged progress in the implementation of the Five-Point Consensus of the Asean Leaders’ Meeting that was held in Jakarta last April 24, 2021.
Locsin pushed for dialogue and reconciliation and called for the release and restoration of the status quo ante before the coup, and the release of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and other political detainees.
In these trying times, the Secretary noted, “solidarity and compassion is the path we are taking. It is the rain that grows flowers, not the thunder.”
Chinese State Councilor Wang Yi said he “expects to work with Asean foreign ministers to take stock of and summarize the outcomes and experience of China-Asean cooperation in the past 30 years.”
He said the focus is on combating Covid-19 and promoting economic recovery, “dovetail strategic plans and foster new highlights in practical cooperation to upgrade the relationship and make new contributions to peace, stability, development and prosperity in the region.”
The Chinese Foreign Ministry said Wang will also hold bilateral meetings with foreign ministers of Asean states and the Asean Secretary-General to mark the 30th anniversary of dialogue relations and the 6th Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Foreign Ministers’ Meeting.
“The fact that the two sides agreed to hold a face-to-face special foreign ministers’ meeting despite the ongoing grim Covid-19 situation reflects how countries attach great importance to and hold high expectations of China-ASEAN relations under the new circumstances,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said in a statement.
The Ministers called for intensified cooperation for economic recovery, encouraging the early implementation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and benefiting from opportunities in the complementarity between Asean’s Master Plan on Asean Connectivity 2025 and China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
RCEP is a free trade agreement between the Asia-Pacific nations of Australia, Brunei, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Image courtesy of Wang Quanchao/Xinhua via AP
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