09 August, 2017
China has recently come under fire from the USA as well, over the North Korea situation, with U.S. envoy to the UN Nikki Haley urging Beijing "to decide whether it is finally willing to take this vital step", arguing that "time for talk" on North Korea is over.
The Philippines will hand over chairmanship of the 10-member Asean grouping to Singapore next year.
Accusations of USA involvement in the statement began nearly immediately, with Cambodia (often acting as a proxy for China in the organisation) reportedly stalling.
The statement said that some of Asean's 10 foreign ministers expressed concern "on the land reclamations and activities in the area, which have eroded trust and confidence, increased tensions and may undermine peace, security and stability in the region".
"Anti-globalisation sentiments and protectionist threats, to just name a few, are gaining force in many parts of the world, fuelling global economic and political uncertainty", South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-Wha said during a meeting with her Japanese and Chinese counterparts on Sunday. After that he and his senior aides sat down first with Myanmar's minister of state for foreign affairs, Kyaw Tin, then with South Korea's Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-Wha. However, China has refused to acknowledge the ruling.
China insists the three countries should stay out of what it says are purely bilateral disputes with its neighbours.
He said China had long finished its land reclamation project.
The contending states should clarify their claims peacefully in accordance with a 1982 maritime treaty and worldwide law, according to the three, who met on the sidelines of annual meetings of Asia-Pacific foreign ministers in Manila, including those from China and Russian Federation.
Although the language in the ASEAN communique reflected that in previous years, some countries pursuing deeper business ties with Beijing, such as Cambodia and the Philippines, had argued for dropping it. This Summit appears to be no different, with anonymous sources pointing at Vietnam to explain the delay. The administration of President Rodrigo Duterte has agreed, in effect, to postpone dealing with its dispute with China in exchange for a massive amount of economic assistance from that nation.
The largest development is the prospect of a "negotiating framework for a code of conduct".
In nearly hourly press gaggles, he prodded North Korea to entertain overtures from Seoul and pushed back against Asean criticism of China's island-building in the disputed South China Sea.
Most countries believed the new sanctions passed by the UN Security Council on Pyongyang should be fully implemented.
Further announcements on the code of conduct are expected in November, Wang Yi told media in Manila over the weekend, before warning again against foreign interference.
More than one year after an ill-founded award at a South China Sea arbitration unilaterally delivered by an ad hoc tribunal in The Hague, the situation in the South China Sea has stabilized and improved thanks to the wisdom and sincerity of China and the parties concerned.
For decades, China avoided attention under the "hide and bide" policy of late leader Deng Xiaoping - and its rise to diplomatic power has been bumpy.
