Vientiane: Southeast Asian nations on 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 Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) avoided mention of a ruling by a UN-backed tribunal in early July that rejected China’s territorial claims and infuriated Beijing.
Instead, Asean, gathered in the Laos capital Vientiane for the first time since the ruling, called for “self-restraint” from all parties in the strategic waterway in a soft statement that edged away from a showdown with regional powerhouse China. The contested sea has been a source of increasing tension between China and its Southeast Asian neighbours along with the United States.
But the statement that finally emerged after days of wrangling has exposed deep divisions within the regional grouping. With the bloc faltering in its response to the region’s major security challenge of the day, analysts say it risks becoming a talking shop lacking in diplomatic clout.
