Southeast Asian nations yesterday expressed serious concern about growing international tension over disputed waters in the South China Sea.
China claims most of the sea, but Taiwan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Brunei and Vietnam have rival claims to all or portions of the region. Friction has increased over China’s recent deployment of missiles and fighter jets to the disputed Paracel Islands (Xisha Islands, 西沙群島).
“Ministers remained seriously concerned over recent and ongoing developments,” 10-member ASEAN said in a statement after a regular meeting of the group’s foreign ministers in Laos.
Land reclamation and escalating activity has increased tensions and could undermine peace, security and stability in the region, ASEAN said in the statement.
The US has criticized China’s building of artificial islands and facilities in the sea and has sailed warships close to disputed territory to assert the right to freedom of navigation.
The White House on Friday pressed Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) to expand his non-militarization pledge to cover the entire South China Sea.
During a state visit to the US in September last year, Xi insisted that “China does not intend to pursue militarization” in the Spratly Islands (Nansha Islands, 南沙群島).
“We think it would be good if that non-militarization pledge, if he [Xi] would extend that across the entire South China Sea,” US National Security Council Senior Director for Asian Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink told a forum at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. “We’re going to encourage our Chinese friends and other countries in the region to refrain from taking steps that raise tensions.”
Vietnam, which accused China of violating its sovereignty with the missile deployment, yesterday echoed the US call.
“We call for non-militarization in the South China Sea,” Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Binh Minh told reporters after meeting with his ASEAN colleagues.
The group agreed to seek a meeting between China and ASEAN’s foreign ministers to discuss the South China Sea and other issues, Cambodian Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Hor Namhong said.
China’s maritime claims are ASEAN’s most contentious issue, as its members struggle to balance mutual support with their growing economic relations with Beijing. China is the biggest trade partner for many ASEAN nations.
Vietnam and China compete for influence over landlocked Laos, which has no maritime claims, but finds itself in the difficult position of dealing with neighbors at odds over the South China Sea. Laos is tasked with finding common ground on the issue as the ASEAN chair this year.
Laotian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Thongloun Sisoulith, who is to take office as prime minister next month, played down the challenge.
“We are a close friend of Vietnam and China. We try to solve problems in a friendly way,” he told reporters yesterday. “We are in the middle, but it’s not a problem.”
Tropical Storm Gaemi strengthened into a typhoon at 2pm yesterday, and could make landfall in Yilan County tomorrow, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The agency was scheduled to issue a sea warning at 11:30pm yesterday, and could issue a land warning later today. Gaemi was moving north-northwest at 4kph, carrying maximum sustained winds near its center of up to 118.8kph and gusts of 154.8kph. The circumference is forecast to reach eastern Taiwan tomorrow morning, with the center making landfall in Yilan County later that night before departing from the north coast, CWA weather forecaster Kuan Shin-ping (官欣平) said yesterday. Uncertainty remains and
SEA WARNING LIKELY: The storm, named Gaemi, could become a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, with the Taipei City Government preparing for flooding A tropical depression east of the Philippines developed into a tropical storm named Gaemi at 2pm yesterday, and was moving toward eastern Taiwan, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Gaemi could begin to affect Taiwan proper on Tuesday, lasting until Friday, and could develop into a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, it said. A sea warning for Gaemi could be issued as early as Tuesday morning, it added. Gaemi, the third tropical storm in the Pacific Ocean this typhoon season, is projected to begin moving northwest today, and be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday or Thursday, the agency said. Today, there would likely
DISRUPTIONS: The high-speed rail is to operate as normal, while several airlines either canceled flights or announced early departures or late arrivals Schools and offices in 15 cities and counties are to be closed today due to Typhoon Gaemi, local governments announced last night. The 15 are: Taipei, New Taipei City, Taoyuan, Tainan, Keelung, Hsinchu and Kaohsiung, as well as Yilan, Hualien, Hsinchu, Miaoli, Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Lienchiang counties. People should brace for torrential rainfall brought by the storm, with its center forecast to make landfall on the east coast between tonight and tomorrow morning, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The agency issued a sea warning for the typhoon at 11:30pm on Monday, followed by a land warning at 11:30am yesterday. As of
CASUALTY: A 70-year-old woman was killed by a falling tree in Kaohsiung as the premier warned all government agencies to remain on high alert for the next 24 hours Schools and offices nationwide are to be closed for a second day today as Typhoon Gaemi crosses over the nation, bringing torrential rain and whipping winds. Gaemi was forecast to make landfall late last night. From Tuesday night, its outer band brought substantial rainfall and strong winds to the nation. As of 6:15pm last night, the typhoon’s center was 20km southeast of Hualien County, Central Weather Administration (CWA) data showed. It was moving at 19kph and had a radius of 250km. As of 3pm yesterday, one woman had died, while 58 people were injured, the Central Emergency Operation Center said. The 70-year-old