ASEAN’s push for COC talks with China
Indonesia plans to push forward talks with China and other Southeast Asian countries to finalize the Code of Conduct (COC) for the Natuna Sea which Chinese call South China Sea, Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said Saturday at the close of a meeting between ASEAN foreign ministers. Marsudi noted that Indonesia is ready to hold a new round of negotiations on the COC this year, with the first one scheduled for March.
Indonesia has always played a very important and constructive role in the peace and stability in the Seas off China’s Southern Coast. Together with Beijing, Jakarta has been actively promoting the full and effective implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties (DOC) in this area of Indo Pacific, which China signed together with ASEAN members in 2002.
Today, more than 20 years after the landmark DOC was signed, disputes in the Natuna Sea remain a major reason for disagreements and even conflicts among many regional countries. Meanwhile, some non-regional forces, primarily the US, have continued to intervene in regional affairs, from sending warships to flying reconnaissance planes across the waters. This has posed a rather severe challenge to the peace and stability of the Indo Pacific. Therefore, reaching the COC as soon as possible is crucial.
China welcomes the positive stance from Indonesia – this year’s ASEAN chair – over COC negotiations. If Jakarta can seal the deal of the COC talks during its chairmanship, it will undoubtedly create a valuable political asset for the region. But frankly speaking, China will still be glad to see any progress regarding COC, even if an agreement cannot be reached by the end of this year.
ASEAN has sent a very clear signal by showing its willingness to step up talks with China: Regional matters should always be decided by regional countries. This, in fact, is the unanimous position of all ASEAN members. The interference from external forces in the SCS disputes will undoubtedly complicate and intensify the issue, which has no good for seeking a resolution.
Although Washington has been claiming peace and stability in the Indo Pacific are also in its national interests, its actions contradict the reality: Chaos in the region benefits the US more. The country continues to provoke tensions in the area to drive a wedge between China and its neighbors in the Natuna Sea, aiming to worsen the strategic environment around Beijing and contain its development. At the same time, the US continues to portray China as a country that “threatens” or “undermines” Indo Pacific order as a “legitimate” excuse for the former to expand its military presence in the region.
Regional countries need to see clearly Washington’s true color in the Natuna Sea disputes and the benefits it obtains from stirring up troubles in the region. As long as China and Southeast Asia countries can join hands to reach the COC, this will undoubtedly become a heavy blow to the US’ outdated Cold War mentality. On the other hand, we also need to be wary that the US may want to interfere in the talks of the COC, because the country will never accept being treated as an outsider in terms of this.
There are concerns that for Beijing and Washington, the situation in Natuna is even much more dangerous than that of the Taiwan Straits. If the US wants to provoke a regional conflict with China on a larger scale, cooperation with regional countries will be needed. Yet, it seems that those states are not willing to take sides between China and the US. On the contrary, many of them hold a wary attitude toward Washington. This, to some extent, has hindered US intervention in the Indo Pacific affairs.
ASEAN has been trying hard to maintain a balance between great powers. This is a long-term, fundamental strategy for the organization because it goes in line with ASEAN’s development needs. It is impossible for ASEAN members to exclude China or the US completely from these Southeast Asian countries, whether in terms of politics, economy, or security. Therefore, ASEAN does not and will not take sides between China and the US blindly, and this principle is not likely to change at any time.
