South China Sea tensions Shift in ASEAN against Chinese buildup

South China Sea tensions

Shift in ASEAN against Chinese buildup

WATARU YOSHIDA, Nikkei staff writer

ASEAN members are stepping up criticism of China's island-building in the South China Sea. © Getty Images/Kyodo

SINGAPORE -- Malaysia, Indonesia and others are stepping up criticism of China's island-building in the South China Sea, abandoning previously neutral stances and potentially swinging the balance of opinion in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations against the regional heavyweight.

     Defense ministers from ASEAN members and observer nations including China, the U.S., South Korea, Australia and Japan will meet in Malaysia on Tuesday and Wednesday. It will be the first major international conference since the U.S. sailed a warship within 12 nautical miles of China's man-made islands -- an area that Beijing considers territorial waters. Both powers have supporters and opponents within ASEAN. Thus the talks will likely be the stage for the first public confrontation between the U.S. and China over the issue, as well as for campaigns to win over ASEAN as a whole.

     The bloc has so far kept its official position on the South China Sea buildup vague, seeking to maintain favor with both the U.S. and China. The 10 members themselves are split into three camps over the issue. The Philippines and Vietnam are embroiled in territorial conflicts with China in the area, and have thus sided firmly with the U.S. Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore have remained neutral. The remaining five -- Thailand, Brunei, Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia -- have all sided with China, to varying degrees.

     But as China's expansion has moved into higher gear, previously neutral nations have begun pushing back. Indonesian President Joko Widodo spoke out against the building of military facilities on the man-made islands during talks Monday with U.S. President Barack Obama. "The two presidents expressed their shared concern about recent developments in the South China Sea that have increased tensions, eroded trust, and threatened to undermine peace, security, and the economic well-being of the region," said a joint U.S.-Indonesia statement released after the meeting.

     Malaysia has also begun to criticize the buildup. General Zulkefli Mohd Zin, chief of the country's armed forces, reportedly slammed China's construction on the islands as "unwarranted provocation" at a security forum in Beijing on Oct. 18.

Breaking the ice

A tougher U.S. stance against China likely pushed Indonesia and Malaysia to shift from neutrality. Following a late-September summit between Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping, Washington seems to have changed the emphasis of its China policy from persuasion to pressure.

     Certainty that the U.S. would step up action made it easier for neutral nations to come out against China, a diplomatic source said. The conclusion of the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement also likely nudged nations toward the U.S. position, as warm ties to the western power could soon become necessary for economic growth under the trade pact.

     The U.S., Japan and others plan to voice support for ASEAN and build a united front for a halt to Chinese island-building at Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meetings and top-level talks throughout November.

     But gaining broad support will not be simple. Thailand, previously seen as neutral on the U.S.-China spat, appears to be drawing closer to Beijing in light of American criticism of the military government in Bangkok. Xi is also set to visit Vietnam and Singapore in early November. The leader will likely attempt to hold down anti-China sentiment there through stronger economic cooperation.