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ASEAN Way founders in South China Sea storm | Reuters
As Philippine Foreign Minister Albert del Rosario began to raise the sensitive issue of the South China Sea at one of last week's Asian summit meetings, his microphone went dead.
A technical glitch, said the Cambodian hosts. Perhaps something more sinister, hinted some diplomats who were frustrated by Chinese ally Cambodia's dogged efforts to keep the subject off the agenda.
That account and others, described to Reuters by diplomats with direct knowledge of the talks and who asked not to be identified, reveals how deeply Southeast Asian nations have been polarized by China's rapidly expanding influence in the region.
The fast-growing 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which aims to form an EU-style economic bloc by 2015, insists it remains united despite its failure for the first time in 45 years to agree a concluding summit statement.
But Reuters' interviews reveal deep discord and frayed tempers at last week's summit that are sharply at odds with the group's self-styled reputation for harmony and polite debate.
"It was one of the most heated meetings in the history of ASEAN," one diplomat said. Another described Cambodia, which holds the revolving ASEAN chairmanship this year, as "the worst chair", and said China had effectively bought its loyalty and that of some other states with economic largesse.
The breakdown has left attempts to craft a maritime "code of conduct" this year between ASEAN and China in tatters, raising the risk that growing incidents of naval brinkmanship over the oil-rich waters will spill over into conflict.
It also underlines the huge challenge facing the United States as it refocuses its military and economic attention on Asia in response to China's rise. The South China Sea has become Asia's biggest potential military flashpoint as Beijing's sovereignty claims set it against Vietnam and the Philippines racing to tap possibly huge oil reserves.
CHINA BREACHES INNER SANCTUM
The failure touched on a long-standing ASEAN fear, says Carlyle Thayer, an emeritus professor at the University of New South Wales at the Australian Defense Force Academy -- that lack of unity would allow foreign powers to exploit its differences.
"This is the first major breach of the dyke of regional autonomy," he said. "China has now reached into ASEAN's inner sanctum and played on intra-ASEAN divisions."
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen has angrily rejected suggestions that China has "bought" Cambodia's support over the South China Sea dispute. China's foreign direct investment in Cambodia was $1.2 billion in 2011, almost 10 times that of the United States, according to an estimate by the government's Council for the Development of Cambodia. Chinese investment and trade has also surged in neighboring Myanmar and Laos.
Cambodia batted away repeated attempts to raise the issue about the disputed waters during the ASEAN meeting last week as well as the ASEAN Regional Forum, which includes Japan and the United States, according to diplomats present.
ASEAN Secretary-General Surin Pitsuwan was cut off in mid-address by Cambodia's foreign minister as he tried to bring up the topic, said several Southeast Asia diplomats.
Del Rosario's microphone malfunction occurred at a Thursday morning ministerial meeting, diplomats said, as he raised the issue despite Cambodia's insistence that it should not be discussed. A Cambodian foreign ministry spokesman said it was "craziness" to suggest that it was switched off deliberately.
On Friday, the last day of the summit, diplomats scrambled to avoid humiliation and agree an 11th-hour text for a joint statement. Regional giant Indonesia took the lead.
Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa even called his Singapore counterpart back from the airport to help draft a deal, the first ASEAN diplomat said.
Natalegawa drafted 18 different versions of the statement in a desperate effort to appease both Cambodia and claimant states the Philippines and Vietnam, the diplomat said. Natalegawa's staff scurried long distances through Phnom Penh's cavernous Peace Palace to get the latest drafts to printer machines.
But the attempts finally stalled over Cambodia's unwillingness to accept any mention of the Scarborough Shoal - the site of a recent naval stand-off between China and the Philippines - even after Manila accepted an Indonesian suggestion to change the wording to "affected shoal".
"The host should have played a bigger role, but he didn't," the ASEAN diplomat said.
Then came the fallout. The Philippines said it deplored the outcome and Del Rosario held a news conference in Manila to condemn an unidentified state's "increasing assertion" in disputed waters, warning it was raising the risk of conflict.
It was shockingly blunt language for a group that has long waved off criticism of its bland statements and lack of strong joint policies by citing the "ASEAN Way" -- its method of discrete, non-conflictual cooperation.
Beijing flaunts Cambodia success | Inquirer Global Nation
The Philippines should “face facts squarely and not make trouble” over Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal, China said after successfully blocking Manila’s attempt last week to win regional support in its territorial dispute with Beijing in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea).
A Chinese newspaper also chided the Philippines for “disgracing” itself with its “high-pitched verbal provocations” for which it had no matching “military or diplomatic influence.”
China is seeking to picture the Philippines as alone in its effort to get the country’s dispute with China over Panatag Shoal mentioned in a joint statement at the close of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) foreign ministers’ meeting in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, last week.
But Malacañang insisted Monday that the Philippines had the support of the majority of the 10 Asean nations on the dispute. The bloc, however, failed to issue a joint communiqué because Cambodia, an ally of China and this year’s host, blocked the mention of the conflict in the statement.
Cambodia’s actions caused acrimony that led to the group’s failure to issue a joint statement, the first time in 45 years that the bloc’s annual meeting ended without such a statement.
Communications Secretary Ricky Carandang said the Philippines wanted to see Cambodia “to be more supportive” in the Asean leaders’ summit in Phnom Penh in November.
There is little chance of that happening. On Sunday, Cambodia, echoing China’s line, said the Panatag Shoal dispute was not a regional issue.
Shocked, surprised
According to Yang, “the Chinese people were shocked and surprised by the Huangyan Island incident.”
He had a different account of the standoff. “(On April 8) the Philippine side sent a naval vessel to hurt the Chinese fishermen on China’s territory,” Yang said. “What they did caused wide concern and strong indignation among the Chinese people.”
Pressure on China
The Global Times, one of China’s top newspapers, said in an editorial published Monday that “Manila attempted to exert pressure on China through the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, but the request was rejected by the majority of Asean members.”
Like Japan and Vietnam, the Philippines only humiliated itself, said the paper, which is published by the People’s Daily, the mouthpiece of the Chinese Communist Party.
“The Philippines has been the most embarrassed by its futile action,” the Global Times said. “Manila didn’t have the military or diplomatic influence to match its high-pitched verbal provocations.”
In an earlier editorial, the Global Times said “the Philippines and Vietnam deserve to be punished.”
“If they go to extremes in their provocations against China, it is likely that they will be punished through means including military strikes,” the paper said.
As Philippine Foreign Minister Albert del Rosario began to raise the sensitive issue of the South China Sea at one of last week's Asian summit meetings, his microphone went dead.
A technical glitch, said the Cambodian hosts. Perhaps something more sinister, hinted some diplomats who were frustrated by Chinese ally Cambodia's dogged efforts to keep the subject off the agenda.
That account and others, described to Reuters by diplomats with direct knowledge of the talks and who asked not to be identified, reveals how deeply Southeast Asian nations have been polarized by China's rapidly expanding influence in the region.
The fast-growing 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which aims to form an EU-style economic bloc by 2015, insists it remains united despite its failure for the first time in 45 years to agree a concluding summit statement.
But Reuters' interviews reveal deep discord and frayed tempers at last week's summit that are sharply at odds with the group's self-styled reputation for harmony and polite debate.
"It was one of the most heated meetings in the history of ASEAN," one diplomat said. Another described Cambodia, which holds the revolving ASEAN chairmanship this year, as "the worst chair", and said China had effectively bought its loyalty and that of some other states with economic largesse.
The breakdown has left attempts to craft a maritime "code of conduct" this year between ASEAN and China in tatters, raising the risk that growing incidents of naval brinkmanship over the oil-rich waters will spill over into conflict.
It also underlines the huge challenge facing the United States as it refocuses its military and economic attention on Asia in response to China's rise. The South China Sea has become Asia's biggest potential military flashpoint as Beijing's sovereignty claims set it against Vietnam and the Philippines racing to tap possibly huge oil reserves.
CHINA BREACHES INNER SANCTUM
The failure touched on a long-standing ASEAN fear, says Carlyle Thayer, an emeritus professor at the University of New South Wales at the Australian Defense Force Academy -- that lack of unity would allow foreign powers to exploit its differences.
"This is the first major breach of the dyke of regional autonomy," he said. "China has now reached into ASEAN's inner sanctum and played on intra-ASEAN divisions."
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen has angrily rejected suggestions that China has "bought" Cambodia's support over the South China Sea dispute. China's foreign direct investment in Cambodia was $1.2 billion in 2011, almost 10 times that of the United States, according to an estimate by the government's Council for the Development of Cambodia. Chinese investment and trade has also surged in neighboring Myanmar and Laos.
Cambodia batted away repeated attempts to raise the issue about the disputed waters during the ASEAN meeting last week as well as the ASEAN Regional Forum, which includes Japan and the United States, according to diplomats present.
ASEAN Secretary-General Surin Pitsuwan was cut off in mid-address by Cambodia's foreign minister as he tried to bring up the topic, said several Southeast Asia diplomats.
Del Rosario's microphone malfunction occurred at a Thursday morning ministerial meeting, diplomats said, as he raised the issue despite Cambodia's insistence that it should not be discussed. A Cambodian foreign ministry spokesman said it was "craziness" to suggest that it was switched off deliberately.
On Friday, the last day of the summit, diplomats scrambled to avoid humiliation and agree an 11th-hour text for a joint statement. Regional giant Indonesia took the lead.
Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa even called his Singapore counterpart back from the airport to help draft a deal, the first ASEAN diplomat said.
Natalegawa drafted 18 different versions of the statement in a desperate effort to appease both Cambodia and claimant states the Philippines and Vietnam, the diplomat said. Natalegawa's staff scurried long distances through Phnom Penh's cavernous Peace Palace to get the latest drafts to printer machines.
But the attempts finally stalled over Cambodia's unwillingness to accept any mention of the Scarborough Shoal - the site of a recent naval stand-off between China and the Philippines - even after Manila accepted an Indonesian suggestion to change the wording to "affected shoal".
"The host should have played a bigger role, but he didn't," the ASEAN diplomat said.
Then came the fallout. The Philippines said it deplored the outcome and Del Rosario held a news conference in Manila to condemn an unidentified state's "increasing assertion" in disputed waters, warning it was raising the risk of conflict.
It was shockingly blunt language for a group that has long waved off criticism of its bland statements and lack of strong joint policies by citing the "ASEAN Way" -- its method of discrete, non-conflictual cooperation.
Beijing flaunts Cambodia success | Inquirer Global Nation
The Philippines should “face facts squarely and not make trouble” over Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal, China said after successfully blocking Manila’s attempt last week to win regional support in its territorial dispute with Beijing in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea).
A Chinese newspaper also chided the Philippines for “disgracing” itself with its “high-pitched verbal provocations” for which it had no matching “military or diplomatic influence.”
China is seeking to picture the Philippines as alone in its effort to get the country’s dispute with China over Panatag Shoal mentioned in a joint statement at the close of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) foreign ministers’ meeting in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, last week.
But Malacañang insisted Monday that the Philippines had the support of the majority of the 10 Asean nations on the dispute. The bloc, however, failed to issue a joint communiqué because Cambodia, an ally of China and this year’s host, blocked the mention of the conflict in the statement.
Cambodia’s actions caused acrimony that led to the group’s failure to issue a joint statement, the first time in 45 years that the bloc’s annual meeting ended without such a statement.
Communications Secretary Ricky Carandang said the Philippines wanted to see Cambodia “to be more supportive” in the Asean leaders’ summit in Phnom Penh in November.
There is little chance of that happening. On Sunday, Cambodia, echoing China’s line, said the Panatag Shoal dispute was not a regional issue.
Shocked, surprised
According to Yang, “the Chinese people were shocked and surprised by the Huangyan Island incident.”
He had a different account of the standoff. “(On April 8) the Philippine side sent a naval vessel to hurt the Chinese fishermen on China’s territory,” Yang said. “What they did caused wide concern and strong indignation among the Chinese people.”
Pressure on China
The Global Times, one of China’s top newspapers, said in an editorial published Monday that “Manila attempted to exert pressure on China through the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, but the request was rejected by the majority of Asean members.”
Like Japan and Vietnam, the Philippines only humiliated itself, said the paper, which is published by the People’s Daily, the mouthpiece of the Chinese Communist Party.
“The Philippines has been the most embarrassed by its futile action,” the Global Times said. “Manila didn’t have the military or diplomatic influence to match its high-pitched verbal provocations.”
In an earlier editorial, the Global Times said “the Philippines and Vietnam deserve to be punished.”
“If they go to extremes in their provocations against China, it is likely that they will be punished through means including military strikes,” the paper said.
, literally the New Southern Islands, and put under the governance of the ROC together with the Paracel Islands (西沙群岛
