Najib: Rule of law must reign over South China Sea
First Published: 11:12pm, Jun 02, 2014
Last Updated: 11:12pm, Jun 02, 2014
KUALA LUMPUR (June 2): Discussions over security policies in the South China Sea need to be concluded swiftly, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak today.
In his keynote address at the opening of the 28th Asia Pacific Roundtable here, delivered by Defence Minister Datuk Seri Zahid Hamidi, Najib expressed concern over the actions taken by certain "engaged parties" of ASEAN in the resource-rich area which would be against long-term interests of ASEAN in the region.
"I am concerned and deeply worried that measures taken by the engaged parties to affirm their declared rights, no matter how incremental and small they may be, will only serve to complicate matters and would be in anyone's interests in the long term," he said.
"The on-going activities relating to the full and effective implementation of the Declaration of the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea and the on-going negotiation for the establishment of the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea are steps in the right direction. These talks need to be concluded in the very near future.
"This statement is a reminder and call to ASEAN, as much as it is for other engaged parties, on the urgent need to address the issues related to the South China Sea in a measured and calm manner. The rule of law must reign supreme," he added.
This statement comes on the heels of a warning issued by the United States to China to stop using "destabilising" tactics in its bid to claim parts of the South China Sea.
US defence secretary Chuck Hagel had listed the alarming measures taken by the Chinese in the oild and gas rich region two days ago at an Asia-Pacific security forum in Singapore.
"It has restricted access to the Scarborough Reef; put pressure on the long-standing Philippine presence at the Second Thomas Shoal; begun land reclamation activities at multiple locations; and moved an oil rig into disputed waters near the Paracel Islands” off the coast of Vietnam, Hagel reportedly said.
China is locked in territorial disputes with Vietnam, the Philippines, Brunei and Malaysia over stretches of the resource rich region.
It had culminated last month when ships from China and Vietnam clashed near the Paracel Islands and Vietnam said a Chinese ship sunk one of its boats by ramming it.
Najib said there should be no further action to aggravate the situation and called for cool heads to prevail.
He said disputes must be settled peacefully with no use of coercion.
He said disputes must be settled peacefully with no use of coercion.
On another matter, Najib also said he is confident lost flight MH370 will be found despite dismal news so far.
He said the region's military forces and law enforcement agencies have exchanged huge amounts of data and information to facilitate the search, even to the extent of releasing sensitive raw data from military radars.
He said the region's military forces and law enforcement agencies have exchanged huge amounts of data and information to facilitate the search, even to the extent of releasing sensitive raw data from military radars.
The flight bound to Beijing went missing on March 8. It dissapeared off the Western coast of Australia and had yet to be found despite a multi-national search effort.
Read more: http://www.fz.com/content/najib-rule-law-must-reign-over-south-china-sea#ixzz33VmAGY4U
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