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A10 WORLD NEWS
Friday 17 March 2017

Australia calls for enforceable South China Sea pact soon

TERESA CEROJANO giving a small concession
Associated Press by agreeing to complete
MANILA, Philippines (AP) — a framework of the code
Australia urged Southeast because it has completed
Asian nations and China to its current island-making
conclude a legally bind- works. China’s once-frosty
ing code of conduct in the ties with the Philippines
South China Sea as soon as have also turned around
possible, voicing concern under President Rodrigo
Thursday about the scale Duterte, who has sought
of reclamation and con- Chinese investments and
struction by China in the aid while putting aside ter-
disputed territory. ritorial disputes with Beijing.
Australian Foreign Min- Duterte holds ASEAN’s ro-
ister Julie Bishop, speak- tating chairmanship this
ing in Manila, urged the year and will host its an-
10-member Association of nual summits of its heads of
Southeast Asian Nations state with other Asian and
and China to go beyond Western leaders.
ongoing discussions to Bishop said an enforceable
craft a framework of the code of conduct could
code of conduct and rap- be based on the recom-
idly conclude an enforce- mendations made by the
able regional nonaggres- Hague-based arbitration
sion pact. “We believe that tribunal last year when it
ASEAN should drive for an Acting Philippine Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo answers questions from reporters in Manila, ruled on a case filed by the
enforceable code of con- Philippines, Thursday, March 16, 2017. Australia urged Southeast Asian nations and China to con- Philippines against China.
duct,” Bishop told the fo- clude a legally-binding code of conduct in the South China Sea as soon as possible, voicing The tribunal invalidat-
concern Thursday to the scale of reclamation and construction by China in the disputed territory.
rum of the ADR Institute for Manalo said in a separate news conference that diplomats from ASEAN member states and China ed China’s sweeping
Strategic and Internation- were progressing in efforts to draft a framework of the code although he refused to provide details. territorial claims in the
al Studies. “I would urge (AP Photo/Aaron Favila) South China Sea and ruled
ASEAN under the Philip- that China violated the
pines’ leadership to go fur- news conference that dip- to provide details. for stonewalling while it was rights of Filipinos to fish at
ther and conclude a code lomats from ASEAN mem- Negotiations for a stron- quietly transforming seven Scarborough Shoal, which
of conduct as soon as pos- ber states and China were ger code of conduct in disputed reefs into islands lies off the northwestern
sible.” Acting Philippine progressing in efforts to the disputed region have in recent years. Philippines. Beijing had
Foreign Secretary Enrique draft a framework of the dragged on for years Critics of China’s assertive seized Scarborough in 2012
Manalo said in a separate code although he refused with China being blamed actions say Beijing may be after a dangerous standoff
with Philippine vessels.
North Korea diplomat: China has since allowed
Filipino fishermen to return
Malaysia killing was US, South Korea conspiracy to the shoal, but it does not
recognize the tribunal’s rul-
ing as valid and insists it has
BEIJING (AP) — A North Ko- and South Korea aimed at ed an autopsy. It also has sharp deterioration of ties historical claims to almost
rean diplomat said Thurs- smearing North Korea’s im- refused to acknowledge between Malaysia and the entire South China Sea.
day the killing of a man age and subverting its re- that the victim was the North Korea, with each ex- “Australia opposes the
confirmed by Malaysian gime. older half-brother of leader pelling the other’s ambas- scale of reclamation and
police to be the estranged Pak said “indiscriminate Kim Jong Un, sador. reconstruction that has
half-brother of North Ko- claims of behind-the- referring to him only by the North Korea has blocked occurred and certainly
rea’s leader was a political scenes manipulation” name in his North Korean Malaysians from leaving we do not support milita-
conspiracy engineered by would fail, referring to al- diplomatic passport, Kim the country until a “fair rization by any party of
Washington and Seoul. legations by South Korea’s Chol. settlement” of the case is the islands and the other
Pak Myong Ho, a minister spy agency that North Ko- Malaysian media say po- reached. features in the South Chi-
at North Korea’s embassy rea masterminded the as- lice confirmed Kim Jong Malaysia then barred North na Sea because it would
in Beijing, said the Feb. 13 sassination. Nam’s identity using DNA Koreans from exiting its soil. raise tensions, it would raise
murder of Kim Jong Nam North Korea has demand- from his son which was The two countries have also the prospect of conflict,”
in Malaysia was a “despi- ed that Malaysia hand obtained overseas and scrapped visa-free travel Bishop said, referring to re-
cable and extremely dan- over the body and angrily brought to Malaysia. for each other’s citizens.q ports of China installing a
gerous” plot by the U.S. objected when it conduct- The incident has led to a missile-defense system in its
man-made islands. q