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A10 WORLD NEWS
Monday 4 noveMber 2019

Trump absent, ASEAN charts path for trade bloc led by China

By JIM GOMEZ and GRANT mats told The Associated
PECK Press that in a tense meet-
Associated Press ing in Vietnam recently,
NONTHABURI, Thailand Vietnamese diplomats
(AP) — Southeast Asian questioned how the ne-
leaders agreed Sunday to gotiations could progress
work with China and other while flotillas of Chinese
neighbors to transcend fishing boats backed by
conflicts over trade policies China's coast guard and
and territorial disputes for navy were swarming into
the sake of stronger econo- disputed waters.
mies and regional stability. Chinese officials replied
President Donald Trump that ASEAN members
skipped the summit of the should not allow one state
Association of Southeast "to hijack the COC pro-
Asian Nations and instead cess," one of the diplomats
sent his national security said, referring to the code
adviser, Robert O'Brien. of conduct talks. The two
Last year, Trump sent Vice diplomats spoke to the AP
President Mike Pence. Both on condition of anonymity
now are busy campaigning because of a lack of au-
back home, and analysts thority to discuss the issue
say their absence left room publicly.
for China to further raise its "China's continued harass-
profile and clout in the re- ment of Malaysia, Filipino
gion. and Vietnamese activities
ASEAN leaders "welcomed Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi, center, stands with Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir over the last year shows
Mohamad, left, and Philippines' President Rodrigo Duterte during the opening ceremony of The
the conclusion of the Re- Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Nonthaburi, Thailand, Sunday, Nov. 3, that it isn't yet prepared
gional Comprehensive 2019. to compromise in any sub-
Economic Partnership ne- Associated Press stantive way. So these
gotiations" and the com- the South China Sea. exploit energy resources. years while building artifi- talks always seemed to be
mitment to sign the free Chinese Premier Li Keqiang Earlier drafts mentioned cial islands with military out- heading for trouble," said
trade deal next year, the told other leaders attend- recent "serious incidents." posts on contested reefs, Greg Poling, a South China
summit's host, Thai Prime ing that Beijing was com- That was absent from the China agreed to begin ne- Sea expert with the U.S.-
Minister Prayuth Chan- mitted to forging such an final statement, perhaps re- gotiations and both sides based Asia Maritime Trans-
ocha, said in a statement agreement. flecting Beijing's clout. Chi- announced that the first of parency Initiative.
on behalf of the 10-nation "Given the complexity in na and its allies in ASEAN, three expected rounds was The meetings Sunday
regional bloc after the an- the international and re- led by Cambodia, have concluded in July. touched on other chal-
nual meetings. gional situation, our coop- opposed any attempt to Li called that progress "a lenges, including climate
"This will significantly con- eration is built on a stable use the annual meetings to very important landmark" change. U.N. Secretary-
tribute to an open, inclusive structure and moving for- vilify the Asian economic for regional stability. He General Antonio Guterres
and rules-based interna- ward in a positive fashion," powerhouse. said China is committed urged the leaders to wean
tional trading system and Li said. "This is beneficial to Still, in what appeared to making headway in the themselves from reliance
expansion of value chains," the region and all parties to be a compromise, the negotiations with ASEAN on coal-fired power plants
the leaders said. involved." ASEAN leaders said they members, four of whom — given the region's vulner-
Officials said there were still "We support stability in "took note of some con- Brunei, Malaysia, the Philip- ability to extreme weather
final issues to be resolved by the region and by doing cerns on the land reclama- pines and Vietnam — are disasters and rising sea lev-
the 16 countries involved in so we have been able to tions and activities in the locked in the territorial dis- els.
the trade deal, which has cope with the instability area, which have eroded putes. Guterres nudged Myanmar
been under negotiation for elsewhere in the world," he trust and confidence, in- But the talks are highly to do more to help resettle
seven years. said. creased tensions and may contentious and it's un- hundreds of thousands of
RCEP aims to level trade On the troublesome issue undermine peace, security clear if China is ready to members of its Muslim Ro-
barriers between ASEAN of the South China Sea, and stability in the region." sign a code that many hingya minority who have
members and six other Vietnamese diplomats Li welcomed progress on governments, including fled violence in the coun-
countries in a bloc encom- wanted a mention in the negotiating a code of the U.S., hope would be try's northwest.
passing nearly a third of all ASEAN statement of recent conduct that could avert legally binding and potent "Some positive steps have
global trade. Chinese encroachments armed confrontations in enough to restrain pro- been taken, but much
ASEAN also reported prog- into waters where Vietnam, one of the world's most dis- vocative actions in a busy more needs to be done to
ress toward setting a code Malaysia and the Philip- puted regions. waterway crucial to global forge durable solutions and
of conduct with China re- pines have exclusive rights After being accused of de- commerce. ensure effective account-
garding disputed waters in under international law to laying the start of talks for Two Southeast Asian diplo- ability," he said.q