South China Sea: China warns of external influence in lead-up to code of conduct talks

Chinese foreign minister tells Thai counterpart that Beijing is willing to speed up discussions on regional rules
Negotiations start this week, overshadowed by a clash over the Second Thomas Shoal

South China Sea

Jack Lau

Published: 5:00pm, 20 Aug 2023

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Beijing is prepared to speed up talks with Asean on a long-delayed South China Sea code of conduct, the Chinese foreign minister said on the weekend while warning against external interference in the region.

“China is willing to work with Asean countries to ... make effective and meaningful regional rules that can make the South China Sea a sea of peace, friendship and cooperation,” Wang Yi told his Thai counterpart, Don Pramudwinai, in Beijing on Saturday.

A new round of talks is scheduled to get under way in the Philippine capital Manila on Tuesday.

The Chinese foreign ministry quoted Don as saying he supported a peaceful and stable South China Sea.

Wang added that Asean countries should be “vigilant of powers outside of the region of stirring up bloc confrontation”, according to the ministry.

He did not say who those powers were but Japan, the United States and Australia are planning to send military vessels to Manila for a drill in the South China Sea on Wednesday.

Japan will deploy its biggest destroyer and de facto aircraft carrier, the Izumo, Kyodo reported on Friday.

02:13

Philippines accuses Chinese coastguard of firing water cannons at its vessels in disputed waters

The talks and the drill come just weeks after vessels from China and the Philippines clashed in the South China Sea.

The Philippines is one of a number of members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations that has competing claims with China in the area.

Manila said that six Chinese coastguard vessels and two maritime militia ships intercepted its boats heading to the Second Thomas Shoal on August 5 to resupply troops stationed there.

Chinese coastguards fired a water cannon towards a supply boat after separating it from its coastguard vessel escort in a “dangerous manoeuvre”, it said.

The Philippine armed forces said on Saturday that they would try again to resupply troops on the shoal, a mission also to demonstrate its “resolve to stand up against threats and coercion”.

02:43

China and Asean renew agreement to develop code of conduct for South China Sea

During the talks, Wang said China supported the central status of Asean and was ready to work with the region to increase economic growth.

China has long backed the idea of “Asean centrality” to challenge the presence of other powers, especially the United States, in Southeast Asia.

But Asean members do not agree among themselves or with China on the right degree of cooperation in the region with Western powers.

Don said Thailand would continue its dialogue with China as international and regional uncertainty grew, according to the Chinese ministry.

Wang also called for more tangible results from connectivity between Thailand, Laos and China.

Wang added that China and Thailand needed to work together to fight cross-border phone and online scams, and speed up construction of railway links.

Human trafficking syndicates have used the internet to scam many across Asia with false promises of jobs, investment and relationships.

Thousands from Malaysia to Thailand, India and China have been lured to countries such as Cambodia and Myanmar to be locked up, tortured and forced to scam others. Thai officials have accused some operators of Chinese-backed casinos on the Thai-Myanmar border of hosting scam centres.