Southeast Asian Quarrel

Defense Ministers of Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the eight neighbor countries failed in delivering a joint declaration after the meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Wednesday. It was a disappointing consequence of sharp opposition between United States and People’s Republic of China. Ten ASEAN nations are being divided in two groups.

The framework is called Asian Defense Ministers Meeting, or ADMM, Plus. In the first meeting in Hanoi, Vietnam, in 2010, the Defense Ministers agreed on five areas: maritime security, counter-terrorism, humanitarian assistance and disaster management, peacekeeping operations and military medicine. The Joint Declaration, agreed on the second meeting in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam, in 2013, reaffirmed the strategic importance of ADMM Plus and required the relations to be guided “by the fundamental principles enshrined in the TAC (Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in ASEAN), especially the renunciation of the threat or use of force and exercise of self-restraint.” The third meeting could not deliver a Joint Declaration for the first time.

Asahi Shimbun reported that the draft of Joint Declaration, prepared by the chair country, Malaysia, included “emphasizing the importance of freedom of navigation and aviation or communication in sea lanes based on international laws.” But, China opposed the draft, claiming that it was inappropriate for multi-lateral conference with outer nations to deal with territorial issue. The expression was dropped from the revised draft.

According a report of Mainichi Shimbun, China was agreeing to Malaysia’s draft with words of “freedom of navigation,” but not referring to “South China Sea.” However, United States demanded to include “South China Sea.” China turned down its support for Joint Declaration as long as any expression of “South China Sea” was described.

Now, ten ASEAN nations are categorized into one of the four groups. Laos and Cambodia are the closest to China with great amount of economic support and without territorial dispute. While Myanmar, Indonesia, Thailand and Singapore are maintaining moderate relation with China without territorial issue, Brunei and Malaysia has dispute over territory with China. Vietnam and Philippine are frustrated with China’s unilateral claim for islands in South China Sea.

In this volatile situation in Southeast Asia, skeptical views are cast on Japan, which has been ambivalent in what kind of role it is going to play in the region. Asahi reported an interview to U.S. Senator John McCain who urged Japan to take the same action as a destroyer of U.S. Navy passed the sea area within twelve maritime miles of Spratly Islands, where China was continuing landfill. Japan is drawn into the conflict in far southern sea.