Beijing braces for South China Sea challenge at Asia-Europe Meeting
Maritime disputes expected to be raised but Beijing won’t face united front, analysts say
South China Sea disputes are expected to feature at the Asia-Europe Meeting, posing a diplomatic challenge for Beijing in the aftermath of an international tribunal ruling.
Premier Li Keqiang will attend the two-day gathering of about 50 nations, known as Asem, which gets under way on Friday in Ulan Bator, Mongolia. It will be the first major international gathering since the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague sided with the Philippines on Tuesday, dealing a major blow to Beijing’s territorial claims in the South China Sea.
Philippine Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay said he would discuss “within the context of Asem’s agenda the Philippines’ peaceful and rules-based approach on the South China Sea and the need for parties to respect the recent decision” of the tribunal.
Shinzo Abe, the prime minister of Japan, which does not have claims over the disputed waters, is also expected to call for the tribunal’s decision to be respected. “I’ll underscore the importance of the rule of law and peaceful resolution” of the issue,” Abe said.
Beijing has resisted attempts to resolve the disputes in multilateral platforms, and the foreign ministry has said Asem is not a channel for discussing the issues.