Australia and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) called on countries to “avoid any unilateral action” that could jeopardize peace and stability in the South China Sea at the end of the ASEAN-Australia summit Wednesday.
ASEAN member states took part in special talks in Melbourne on the occasion of 50 years of ASEAN-Australia relations.
In a joint declaration issued at the end of the summit, the leaders also emphasized the need to “avoid actions that could increase the risk of accidents, misunderstandings and miscalculations.”
The declaration comes a day after the latest clash between Chinese and Philippine vessels in disputed waters.
Two Chinese Coast Guard vessels fired water cannons at a Philippine Navy chartered vessel, damaging it and leaving four personnel on board with minor injuries, according to Philippine authorities.
One of the two Chinese coast guard vessels also collided with a Philippine Coast Guard vessel, according to authorities on Tuesday (5/3).
In response to the declaration, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said in Beijing that China will “continue to address differences with relevant parties through dialogue and consultation” and work with ASEAN countries to jointly maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea.
The dispute in the waters involves not only China and the Philippines, but also Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam and Taiwan.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese addressed the media in Melbourne after the summit and expressed Canberra’s concern over the “unsafe and destabilizing behavior,” and called the actions of the Chinese vessel “dangerous.”
He added that the action risks “miscalculation, which could then lead to escalation.”
But there are differences of opinion among ASEAN member states regarding China’s aggressive behavior and China’s increasing presence in the wider region, given Beijing’s strong economic influence there.
At a press conference with Albanese on Monday, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said that “if other countries have problems with China, they should not impose their views on us”. Anwar was referring to claims that there is a problem with “China phobia” in the West.
Australia has a long-standing relationship with ASEAN, whose member states are collectively Canberra’s second-largest two-way trading partner.
ASEAN comprises Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
Myanmar, which has been under military rule since a coup in February 2021, did not attend the main meeting of the ASEAN-Australia summit.
Timor Leste joined as an observer country in the summit which focused on trade, clean energy and maritime security.
During the summit, Australia announced an investment of 64 million Australian dollars (around Rp658 billion) in expanding its maritime cooperation with ASEAN countries.
Australia also committed 2 billion Australian dollars to promote regional projects in areas such as infrastructure and clean energy transition.