12 May, 2017
At a lunch that he hosted for visiting foreign ministers of the ten- member grouping, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson underscored his nation's commitment to Asean, but also sought its help to cut funding streams for North Korea's nuclear and missile programmes.
They took note of efforts between the 10-member ASEAN and China toward an early conclusion of a "meaningful" code of conduct in the South China Sea as part of efforts to defuse tensions over the sea, in which Beijing has overlapping claims with its smaller neighbors such as the Philippines and Vietnam.
"The discussion was very robust", Murphy told reporters.
The United States and Southeast Asian nations agreed Thursday on the need for full implementation of U.N. Security Council sanctions on North Korea, the State Department said.
"He gave his counterparts and South-east Asia assurance that they can count on the United States to assert our rights for unimpeded commerce and trade, and regional and global security and peace", said Mr Murphy, adding that the U.S. will continue to mount freedom of navigation operations in the South China Sea through much US$4 trillion (S$5.6 trillion) in seaborne trade passes each year.
The United States remains committed to South-east Asia and wants to step up its engagement with the region, America's top diplomat Rex Tillerson has told his counterparts from Asean.
Tillerson called on all countries last week to suspend or downgrade diplomatic ties with Pyongyang. But since then, Trump has made clear he's counting on cooperation with Beijing to rein in North Korea's nuclear program, praising his relationship with Chinese President Xi Jinping, a move that could undercut the State Department's tougher message. U.S. Secretary also warned that Washington would sanction foreign firms and people conducting business with North Korea if countries did not act themselves.
All ASEAN members have diplomatic relations with North Korea. He said China has an "important role" to play, and ASEAN has not yet discussed reducing the North Korean diplomatic presence in their countries.
Singapore had no diplomatic mission in Pyongyang, so relations were already minimal - and the authorities would not tolerate North Korea using the country for illicit financial transactions, he said. It is another significant revenue earner for Pyongyang.
"Our immediate concern is to try and ensure the tension on the peninsula doesn't increase. The last thing we would really like to see is to have a conflict break out".
The affirmation, in a US-ASEAN foreign ministerial meeting in Washington, was effectively a call on China, the long-time economic and diplomatic benefactor of North Korea, and other countries to tighten economic screws on North Korea in accordance with the United Nations resolutions. He emphasized the importance of economic and trade ties between the US and Southeast Asia. The country has an annual trade of US$100 billion supporting half a million U.S.jobs and US$274 billion of USA investment.
"Southeast Asia is replete with economic opportunities and it's too big to miss out on", he said.
The meeting in Washington was held amid the 40th anniversary of Asean-US dialogue relations this year, with President Donald Trump making a commitment to attend the 5th Asean-US Summit and 12th East Asia Summit in Manila in November.
US efforts have included a flurry of calls by Trump to the leaders of the Philippines, Thailand and Singapore.
Murphy said the USA remains committed to freedom of navigation and commerce in the South China Sea. Murphy said Tillerson had stressed that this process needed "room and space" through avoiding fortifying existing claims. China meanwhile claims ownership of nearly the entire South China Sea. Murphy said such operations would continue, but declined to say when the next might occur.
