South China Sea dispute in spotlights at ASEAN forum

Jul 23, 2010, 5:22 GMT

Hanoi - A long-running territory dispute in the South China Sea is expected to be high on the agenda of an annual regional security forum opening in Hanoi Friday, as are security concerns over North Korea and Myanmar.

The ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), attended by the 10-state Association of South-East Asian Nations, the European Union, the US, China, Russia, Japan and 12 other countries is to discuss a range of regional security issues, with the South China Sea dispute pitting China against several ASEAN members.

'The South China Sea has become internationalized and the ARF will have to discuss this issue,' said Professor Carlyle Thayer of the Australian Defence Force Academy. 'China is using its influence in some ASEAN countries to prevent this issue being raised, but the US would raise this issue.'

Many of the area's more than 250 islands are claimed by more than one country, among them the Spratlys, with China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and the Philippines each claiming either all or parts of the archipelago and the Paracel Islands, claimed by China, Taiwan and Vietnam.

Talking to reporters on the sideline meetings Thursday, ASEAN Secretary General Surin Pitsuwan said the South China Sea was essentially a lifeline or part of a lifeline for all regional countries.

Up to 85 per cent of energy sources for East Asian countries have to pass through the South China Sea he said..

'So any disturbance there certainly will affect confidence in the region and will have an impact on our trade, investment and tourism,' he said.

Thayer said Vietnam has been unable to persuade ASEAN to be more assertive and negotiate a code of conduct with China as a bloc, as Beijing insists on bilateral talks.

'The issue is high on our agenda. We would like to see peace, security and safety in the sea and open shipping lanes,' Surin said.

'This is now a test case for ASEAN,' Thayer said. 'The ARF has no power to resolve this matter.'

The ARF is also expected to urge North Korea to return to international talks on ending its nuclear weapons programme and discuss the sinking of a South Korean warship, which Seoul blames on the communist North.

The ARF delegates are also likely to address reports over a secret nuclear weapons programme in Myanmar, a charge the country's ruling military junta denies.

The 10 ASEAN nations are Brunei, Myanmar, Indonesia, Laos, Cambodia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Vietnam is the 2010 ASEAN chair. It hosted an ASEAN summit in April and will host a related summit in Hanoi in October.