BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, Brunei — US Secretary of State John Kerry will press China and Southeast Asian nations to discuss the South China Sea dispute at an Asian summit, a senior US official said, despite Beijing’s reluctance to address the issue in public forums.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who is also attending, said late on Wednesday the South China Sea dispute was a matter of concern to the entire region. In pointed remarks, he said Tokyo would continue to cooperate with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) in resolving the row.
Kerry arrived in Brunei on Wednesday for the annual East Asia Summit (EAS) and talks with leaders of Southeast Asian nations and, separately, met Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on the sidelines of the summit.
A US official said Kerry would urge Asean member states to continue to work “for enhanced coherence and unity” to strengthen their position with China in negotiating a code of conduct for the South China Sea.
Obama last week cancelled his scheduled trip to the summit because of the US government shutdown, raising concern that Washington would lose some of its influence in countering China’s assertive claims over the South China Sea and in maintaining its strategic “rebalancing” toward Asia.
“That rebalance is a commitment, it is there to stay and will continue into the future,” Kerry told Asean leaders in opening remarks shortly after arriving. He began his speech by apologizing that Obama was not able to attend but emphasized the US commitment to the region.
“I assure you that these events in Washington are a moment in politics and not more than that,” Kerry said. “The partnership that we share with Asean remains a top priority for the Obama administration.”
China has resisted discussing the territorial issue with the 10-member Asean, preferring to settle disputes in the South China Sea through negotiations with individual claimants. It has also frowned at what it sees as US meddling in a regional issue.
China claims almost the entire oil- and gas-rich South China Sea, overlapping with claims from Taiwan, Malaysia, Brunei, the Philippines and Vietnam. The last four are members of Asean.
The row is one of the region’s biggest flashpoints amid China’s military build-up and the US strategic “pivot” back to Asia signaled by the Obama administration in 2011.
“The Chinese consistently indicate their view that ‘difficult issues’ that might fall outside the comfort zone of any member need not be discussed,” the US official said.
“That is not a view that is held by the US, or, I believe, many if not most of the EAS member states, but we will find out.”
Conflicting Claims
In a speech to Asean leaders reported by Kyodo news agency, Japan’s Abe came out squarely in favor of the Southeast Asian grouping.
Japan has its own territorial dispute with China over islands in the East China Sea and Abe said there were “moves aimed at changing the status quo by force” in the South China Sea.
Abe said the dispute had to be resolved in accordance with international law and pledged Japan’s continuing cooperation with Asean as it was a “common problem” for both.
The United States says it is neutral but has put pressure on China and other claimants to end the dispute through talks.
Kerry would emphasize the role of the United States as “a longstanding champion of security and stability in the region, and as an advocate of the rule of law, peaceful solution of disputes, and freedom of navigation, and the principle of unimpeded lawful commerce,” the senior official said.
Nevertheless, Washington will be hamstrung at the summit because of Obama’s absence.
“I’m sure the Chinese don’t mind that I’m not there right now,” the US president said at a news conference in Washington on Tuesday. “There are areas where we have differences and they can present their point of view and not get as much push back as if I were there.”
As Li and Kerry met for talks on the sidelines of the summit some tensions were evident.
“I’m sure that we are all committed to living with each other in harmony and discussing jointly those issues of common interest,” Li said. “While China is the largest developing country in the world, while the United States is the largest developed one in the world.”
Li’s remark later that the US and Chinese economies were at “different stages of development” prompted Kerry to respond: “I know you know we think you’re a little more developed than you may want to say you are, but nevertheless we have the same responsibilities.”
In an apparent softening of its stance, China agreed this year to hold “consultations” with Asean on a code of conduct (CoC) for disputes in the South China Sea.
But some diplomats and analysts say China may be giving the appearance of dialogue without committing to anything substantive, aiming to drag the talks out for years while it consolidates its expansive maritime claims.
“It’s a face-saving mechanism to show the world, to show Asean, that China is committed to come up with a CoC but the consultations are designed to delay formal negotiations on a binding code,” said one diplomat from an Asean nation.
However, Li said the code of conduct talks last month were a success and China would be willing to build on that, although he did not give any specifics.
“We’ve always agreed that South China Sea disputes should be dealt with in a direct way, and to seek a resolution through negotiations and talks,” Li said in a speech at the summit.
He, however, maintained China was “unshakable in its resolve to uphold national sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
