Southeast Asia yesterday appeared ready to settle for a non-binding accord with China to prevent military clashes in the South China Sea, but wants the deal to cover the entire area, not just disputed island groups.
Senior diplomats involved in hammering out a position for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) said elements of proposals from Malaysia and the Philippines were adopted Friday.
The closing of Southeast Asian ranks, billed as a milestone by diplomats, will lead to China being presented with a new proposal next week on a code of conduct for the entire South China Sea, an area over which it claims historical sovereignty.
ASEAN agreed on the Philippines' insistence that the code cover the whole area, while also consenting to Malaysia's proposal that it take the form of a non-binding political declaration, rather than a formal treaty that had little chance of success.
Talks on a code of conduct in the South China Sea -- especially over the Spratly islands -- have dragged on for more than three years and, in the words of a Malaysian diplomat, had been "going nowhere."
The new consensus still needs to be adopted by Southeast Asian foreign ministers, who will meet here next week for the Asia-Pacific's biggest annual security talks, including China, the United States, India, Japan, both Koreas, Australia and other countries.
Makarim Wibisono, a senior Indonesian foreign ministry official, said the code would not be legally binding but would carry moral clout and would be respected.
"If you disregard what you have agreed, you will have the consequences of it, morally if not legally," Wibisono said.
Senior officials were still working yesterday on smaller details, such as the document's title.
The main area of contention in the South China Sea is the Spratlys, composed of islets and reefs believed to sit atop vast undersea oil and gas deposits. They have rich fishing grounds and straddle international shipping routes
China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Brunei, Vietnam and Taiwan claim the islands, wholly or in part.
The Philippines and Vietnam had initially envisioned a stronger treaty amid fresh disputes with China.
Diplomats said the new draft incorporated important provisions of past versions, including a pledge that the claimant countries would try to resolve disputes peacefully.
Other provisions reaffirm respect for freedom of navigation, pledge to notify each other about planned military exercises, and prevent countries from occupying new areas.
ASEAN comprises Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
The navies of the various Spratly claimants regularly patrol the region. Other areas of contention are the Scarborough Shoal, contested by Manila and Beijing, and the Paracel islands, disputed by China and Vietnam.
A recent Philippine military report, which calls the South China Sea disputes "the greatest potential flashpoint for conflict" in the region, accuses China of strengthening its claims despite talking of a peaceful resolution. China has denied the allegations.
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