Australia to stress international law in handling South China Sea disputes
Rules ‘designed to regulate behaviour and rivalries’, ensure fair competition, Foreign Minister Julie Bishop expected to say in speech to Asean members
Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop will on Tuesday hail the role of international law in settling regional conflicts, comments apparently aimed at bolstering Australian efforts to build a coalition against Chinese assertiveness.
In a speech ahead of a special meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) in Sydney, Bishop will not name China but will argue that international law will stabilise a region strained by rival claims in the South China Sea.
“The rules-based order is designed to regulate behaviour and rivalries of and between states, and ensure countries compete fairly and in a way that does not threaten others or destabilise their region or the world,” Bishop will say in Sydney, according to a leaked draft of the speech seen by Australian Financial Review.
“It places limitations on the extent to which countries use their economic or military power to impose unfair agreements on less powerful nations.”
Beijing claims most of the South China Sea, an important trade route which is believed to contain large quantities of oil and natural gas, and has been building artificial islands on reefs, some with ports and air strips.
