Pitsuwan Surin

 Editor's Note:

The South China Sea disputes are one of the most pressing issues in the Asia-Pacific region. How can differences among claimants be resolved and the risks of conflicts in the region lowered? What should be done to set aside disputes and restart joint cooperation on resources? How to evaluate the impact of external interventions on the disputes? The Global Times (GT) reporter Liu Jianxi talked to Pitsuwan Surin, former secretary-general of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), on these issues at the sideline of the fifth World Peace Forum held in Beijing last week.

GT: The South China Sea arbitration tribunal ruled in favor of the Philippines on July 12. What is your take on the arbitration?

Surin: The award is not an end or a full stop of consultations. It is just another element that could be brought into the discussions between ASEAN and China, and between the claimant states and China, and among the claimant states themselves, who also have issues with each other, in the future.

GT: Will the Philippine arbitration have a domino effect? How likely are other South China Sea claimants follow the Philippines to launch arbitration against China?

Surin: I don't think other South China Sea claimants would have to follow the Philippines to initiate arbitration against China, because it is pretty clear that those are issues that could become a basis of discussion forwarding into the future.

GT: There are a number of security risks in the region. How likely is it for war to break out in the South China Sea?

Surin: The purpose of all these exercises is to make sure that we build more trust and confidence in order to avoid misunderstanding and misreading of each other's intention. There have already been mechanisms established between the ASEAN and China that could serve as a platform to discuss and avoid such potential conflicts and tension.

GT: The Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) was signed by China and the ASEAN in 2002. The concerning parities are also discussing on a Code of Conduct (COC). How to strengthen the current security architecture in the region?

Surin: This is a time to find a way to move forward quicker and faster on the COC. There won't be any complications or any misunderstanding going forward because we have been working on this for a long time. We have dedicated mechanisms for this process. So I think we should get on with the work. If we could agree, we could avoid complications coming from outside.

    China and neighboring countries around the South China Sea could agree on a set of norms, a code of conduct that would help us manage the differences that we may have. The final solution will have to wait until the bilateral arrangements between China and the Philippines, China and Vietnam, China and Malaysia, and China and Brunei are ready. On a temporary basis, if possibly a long "temporary" basis, we certainly should hasten the process of discussion to get that COC.

I think one main objective is to create a body of norms that small countries feel secure and major countries would be willing to subscribe to. We should move systematically and steadily to achieve the progress. As a result of the DOC, we have established a working group. There are also negotiations at a senior official level. These two mechanisms should move effectively for the objective.

A new body of norms should be one that would be respected by all parties going through this body of water where one-fifth of world trade, about $6 trillion worth of commerce, goes through every year. Twelve percent of global fishery resources are in this body of water. So it is in the interest of the global community if the South China Sea is at peace. How we are going to achieve these common objectives is important to all of us. Until we can create a sense of security and stability, we cannot begin to work on those issues of common objectives.

GT: The US has sent aircraft carriers, fighter jets and naval ships to the South China Sea. How do you evaluate the role of the US intervention in regional affairs?

Surin: The ASEAN countries and China are becoming more important to the world and to the global community than before. For us, the best way to manage and avoid external involvement is to settle the differences among ourselves.

    The US or any other party would then have no reason why they should come into the region if the region is at peace and does not get any more contentious, and if their interests, whether it is interests of commerce or interests of freedom of navigation, would be guaranteed, and there would be nothing going to impede or going to obstruct their interests.