Victory for China in Asean row

Southeast Asian nations Monday ducked direct criticism of Beijing over its claims to the South China Sea, in a diluted statement produced after days of disagreement that gives the superpower a diplomatic victory.

The 10-member Associ-ation of Southeast Asian Nations avoided mention of a ruling by a UN-backed tribunal that rejected China’s claims and infuriated Beijing.

Instead, Asean repeated that it was “seriously concerned” by “land reclamations and escalation of activities” and called for “self-restraint” in the strategic waterway. The contested sea, through which some $5 trillion in shipping passes annually, has been a source of increasing tension between China and its Southeast Asian neighbours along with the United States.

Regional diplomats are gathered in the Laos capital Vientiane for an Asean summit that has been dogged by the flashpoint issue of territorial claims. It is the first time key players — including US Secretary of State John Kerry and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi — have met en masse since a UN-backed tribunal a fortnight ago rejected Beijing’s claims.

Asean’s leading envoys have spent days wrangling over how to respond to the ruling amid splits, acrimony and fears the bloc is faltering in its response to the major security challenge of the day. Staunch Beijing ally Cambodia is accused of scuppering efforts by the bloc to unite in a call for China to abide by the tribunal’s verdict. Four Asean members — Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei — have competing claims over parts of the South China Sea. Most members want to keep pressure on China over island-building yet they are wary of stoking a vital trading partner.