China is calling for more international collaboration on building a stable and reliable institutional framework for maritime security in the Asia-Pacific region. The appeal came from officials from the Ministries of National Defense and Foreign Affairs during a workshop under the ASEAN Regional Forum in Beijing.
The two-day defense seminar was sponsored by the Ministry of National Defense and hosted by the National Defense University of the People's Liberation Army. The event has attracted representatives from over 20 countries and international organizations.
The troubled waters in the Asia-Pacific region. Churned by maritime disputes, terrorist activities, piracy, human and arms trafficking. With security a priority, every year the ASEAN Regional Forum holds many meetings on maritime issues.
This one is on risk control and cooperation. First Admiral Mamu Bin Said Alee, Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency said:"The maritime conflicts happened because of misunderstanding. We should approach in a more political means, instead of fighting over it. There's always a way to solve these problems."
"We encourage that countries should advance and implement the current existing cooperation," said Redo Ferdiansyah, Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Many of the disputes result from overlapping claims, and a lack of agreement on common understanding of the norms. For example, China objects to the US patrolling close to its Exclusive Economic Zones.
While the US believes ensuring freedom of navigation is a key justification for its presence in Asia.
Benjamin Cote, Military Advisor of US State Department said:"The lack of clarity to certain claims is increasing insecurity within the region and impedes the possibility of cooperative arrangements to peacefully manage and find solutions to disputes."
"China has been using all peaceful means to ask people to come to talks, and we are now in the phase of talks on Code of Conduct. China has proposed dual tracking thinking to resolve South China Sea dispute, and more than 20 countries have agreed to CUES,"
"Next year, it would be the year to implementing CUES, which is a major pragmatic step of resolving crisis," said Sr. Col. Zhou Bo, Director of Center for Int'l Security Cooperation, MND.
CUES is China's initiative on a code for unplanned encounters at sea. And consultation on a Code of Conduct is under way with ASEAN countries, to formulate Preventive Measures on Managing Risks at Sea, based on China's proposals.
Kong Xuanyou, Chinese Asst. Minister of Foreign Affairs said:"China is ready to expand discussions with other parties on the codes of conduct and crisis management at sea, under the regional multilateral security framework, to build a stable and reliable institutional framework for maritime security."
Everyone agrees that Asia needs good order at sea. The difficulty still lies in finding viable ways to deal with various maritime challenges.
Participants agree new measures are needed to reduce frictions. But the lack of security collaboration, combined with increasing competition over disputed islands and waters, mean that the potential for conflicts in the Asia-Pacific, will continue for the foreseeable future.
