bothersome fatback: Thailand and China say no quick fix

South China Sea Dispute

Deutsche Presse Agentur August 2, 2013 4:17 pm

China will host a senior ministerial meeting with the Association of South-East Asian Nations (Asean) on August 28-29 on establishing a Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea for handling the various territorial disputes between Beijing and the region that threaten another wise peaceful relationship.

"This step we are taking is a measure of our mutual partnership in managing our differences amicably as a member of one big family would do," Thai Foreign Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul told a forum on the 10th anniversary of Asean-China strategic partnership.

"This is just the beginning of talks on the COC," Surapong said. "There are many details to work out so we may have to meet many times." China has in the past insisted that South China Sea disputes need to be handled bilaterally, and had refused to start negotiations with ASEAN on a Code of Conduct, arguing that a Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) had already been signed in2002.

"As far as the China side is concerned we wish to seriously discuss and steadily advance the COC process," said Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, but, he cautioned, "it?s a gradual process from the DOC to the COC." Among the 10 members of Asean, Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam have territorial disputes with China in the area, which claims oil reserves of up to 30 billion tonnes and 20 trillion cubic metres of gas reserves.

The South China Sea is one of the few bones of contention between China and Asean.

Chinese investment in ASEAN amounted to more than 4 billion dollars in 2012, when bilateral trade amounted to 400 billion, making China Asean?s largest trade partner.

Yi acknowledged that China?s tremendous growth over the past 30years had created "certain suspicions" among its ASEAN partners. "Anyone could feel uneasy about a close buddy who has all of a sudden grown in to a big fellow," Yi said.