Malaysia is steering clear of criticising China’s actions in the South China Sea at a meeting of Southeast Asian leaders next week, a draft end-statement seen by Reuters shows, despite a push by the Philippines to denounce Beijing’s reclamation work.
Philippines President Benigno Aquino has called on leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to issue a collective statement condemning China’s reclamation in the disputed waters at the end of their Kuala Lumpur meeting. The summit starts on Sunday.
China says ASEAN is not a party to the South China Sea dispute.
A draft copy of the concluding statement by Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak devotes two paragraphs to tensions in the energy-rich waters, but stops short of taking sides in the matter, a source with direct knowledge of ASEAN issues told Reuters.
China’s actions in the South China Sea have created a deep divide between the 10 ASEAN members, four of which have competing claims over the disputed territory. China claims most of the area, with overlapping claims from the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan.
Disputes over how to address the increasingly assertive role of China - an ally of several ASEAN states - in the strategic waters of the South China Sea has placed the issue squarely as Southeast Asia’s biggest potential military flashpoint.