Xi Jinping: China will not seek dominance over Southeast Asia

by Kehari Singh Seo

Chinese President Xi Jinping told leaders of the 10- country Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) at a peak on Monday that Beijing would not" bully"its lower indigenous neighbours, amid rising pressure over the South China Sea.

Beijing's territorial claims over the ocean clash with those of several Southeast Asian nations and have raised alarm from Washington to Tokyo.

But Xi said China would noway seek ascendance nor take advantage of its size to force lower countries, and would work with ASEAN to exclude" hindrance".

"China was, is, and will always be a good neighbour, good friend, and good mate of ASEAN,"Chinese state media quoted Xi as saying.

China’s assertion of sovereignty over the South China Sea has set it against ASEAN members Vietnam and the Philippines, while Brunei, Taiwan and Malaysia also lay claim to corridor.

The Philippines on Thursday condemned the conduct of three Chinese seacoast guard vessels that it said blocked and used water cannon on resupply boats headed towards a Philippine-engaged island in the ocean.

The United States on Friday called the Chinese conduct" dangerous, instigative, and unjustified,"and advised that an fortified attack on Philippine vessels would bring US collective defence commitments.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte told the peak hosted by Xi that he"abhors"the altercation and said the rule of law was the only way out of the disagreement. He appertained to a 2016 transnational arbitration ruling which plant China's maritime claim to the ocean had no legal base.

"This doesn't speak well of the relations between our nations," said Duterte, who'll leave office coming time and has been criticised in the history for failing to condemn China's conduct in the disputed waters.

ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Myanmar no show

Xi told the peak that China and ASEAN had" cast off the dusk of the Cold War"-when the region was destroyed by superpower competition and conflicts similar as the Vietnam War-and had concertedly maintained indigenous stability.

China constantly criticises the United States for"Cold War allowing"when Washington engages its indigenous abettors to push back against Beijing's growing service and profitable influence.

US President Joe Biden joined ASEAN leaders for a virtual peak in October and pledged lesser engagement with the region.

The peak was held without a representative from Myanmar, Malaysia's Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah said on Monday. The reason for thenon-attendance wasn't incontinently clear, and a prophet for Myanmar's military government didn't answer calls seeking comment.

ASEAN sidelined Myanmar junta leader Min Aung Hlaing, who has led a bloody crackdown on dissent since seizing power onFeb. 1, from virtual summits last month over his failure to make raids in enforcing an agreed peace plan, in an unknown rejection for the bloc.

Myanmar refused to shoot inferior representation and criticized ASEAN for departing from itsnon-interference principle and caving to Western pressure.

China lobbied for Min to attend the peak, according to politic sources.

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Created on Nov 22nd 2021 06:35. Viewed 348 times.

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