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Why China and a Bloc of Nations Led by Vietnam Just Met but Ignored Asia's
Biggest Maritime Dispute

Ralph Jennings

   TAIPEI, TAIWAN - China and leaders from 10 Southeast Asian countries
   who held annual summits this month sidestepped a sticky maritime
   sovereigntyquestionto focus on trade and COVID-19, signaling a tough
   year ahead for the rival nations, experts believe.

   Apart from polite acknowledgements of the dispute, which engulfs about
   90% of the South China Sea including prime fisheries and
   energy-exploration tracts, Beijing and the Association of Southeast
   Asian Nations (ASEAN) barely touched on the issue at the 37th ASEAN
   Summit November 12-15.

   More robust discussions focused on China's international COVID-19
   response and a long-awaited signing of the[1]Regional Comprehensive
   Economic Partnership trade deal. Those topics elevated everyone's mood,
   analysts say, while no one had any new proposals for easing the
   maritime spat despite a volatile past year dominated by U.S. pushback
   over Chinese activity in the sea.

   "Amidst this celebratory mood, I don't think they would dampen that
   with something very harsh on the South China Sea," said OhEiSun, senior
   fellow with the Singapore Institute of International Affairs.

   ASEAN members Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and summit host Vietnam
   vie with the militarily stronger China in the sovereignty dispute.

   Over the past decadeofSouth China Sea incidents, China has angered
   Vietnam with an oil rig and survey ships, startled Malaysia with coast
   guard passages and inflamed the Philippines by taking over a disputed
   fishing-rich shoal. China alarmed all the claimants by using landfill
   to build and occupy disputed islets in the sea. Officials in Beijing
   cite historical usage records to back their claims.

   SummitHost VietnamesePrime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc noted the issue in
   passing during an ASEAN-China Summit, one in a series of breakout
   meetings.

References

   1. https://www.voanews.com/east-asia-pacific/huge-asian-trade-pact-signed-coup-china

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