Golez: China is now being criticized from all directions. China's aggressiveness has backfired.
East Asia summiteers clash over South China Sea
The Yomiuri Shimbun
By Seima Oki and Keita Ikeda / Yomiuri Shimbun CorrespondentsKUALA LUMPUR — China was criticized by many countries at the East Asia Summit held here on Sunday over its construction of artificial islands in the South China Sea, from the standpoint of securing “freedom of navigation.”
China was put on the defensive against a barrage of criticism, but the country stuck to its stance that the islands will be used for peaceful purposes.
Numerous leaders from participating nations urged relevant countries to exercise self-restraint regarding any actions that could escalate tensions over the issue. Such calls were made not only by the United States and Japan, which had previously expressed concerns over China’s construction of artificial islands, but by other countries as well.
According to diplomatic sources, only Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and leaders from countries that have close ties with China such as Laos and Cambodia did not address the South China Sea issue.
Responding to the criticisms, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang repeated the country’s usual claims.
“There are no existing issues over navigational and aeronautical freedom in the South China Sea,” Li said, adding that the construction of facilities on the artificial islands “is useful for the protection of freedom of navigation and dealing with maritime disasters.”
Li stressed China’s “five-pronged proposal” regarding the South China Sea, calling on “countries outside the region to refrain from taking actions that could cause tension in the region.” None of the participating countries agreed to the proposal.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe underscored the importance of the “Three Principles of the Rule of Law at Sea,” which center on the idea that countries should refrain from the use of force or coercion to try to settle their claims.
“The freedom of navigation and flights over the sea should be protected as fundamental rights,” Abe said.
According to sources who accompanied Abe, the summit meeting was set up so that leaders wanting to speak could press a button in front of them.
Anticipating that none of the counties would bring up the South China Sea issue, Abe was prepared to make remarks during an early stage in the talks. However, leaders from a number of countries ended up raising the issue one after another. Abe waited for an opportunity to speak last, before the chairman spoke, thus playing the role of summarizing the criticisms of China.
Li pressed his button earlier on but was chosen to speak right before Abe — failing to seize an advantage for China, according to sources.
During previous coordination efforts over the chairman’s statement for the summit, the United States and China fiercely faced off behind closed doors over the language that the statement should use regarding the South China Sea, according to negotiation sources.
The United States reportedly insisted that the phrase “demilitarization of the South China Sea” be included in the statement, aiming to halt China’s construction of military facilities on the artificial islands. The insistence came after Chinese President Xi Jinping said during his visit to the United States in September that China has no intention to militarize the artificial islands.
China strongly objected to the use of the word “demilitarization.” The coordination process for the chairman’s statement lasted through Sunday night.Speech
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