Xi calls for direct negotiations

By Li Ruohan Source:Global Times Published: 2016-4-29 0:43:01

Dual-track approach foundation for S.China Sea issue


Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday reaffirmed the need to address disputes in the South China Sea through peaceful negotiations with countries directly involved, which analysts said is a practical and constructive approach to maximize consensus and minimize outside intervention.

"China is willing to peacefully resolve the disputes [arising in the South China Sea] through friendly consultations and dialogue with the countries directly involved," Xi said at the opening ceremony of the fifth foreign ministers' meeting of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) in Beijing, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

Xi also stressed that while China has always been committed to peace and stability in the South China Sea, the country will firmly safeguard its sovereignty, rights and interests.

Wang Xiaopeng, an expert on maritime and border studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times that the approach proposed by Xi, or the dual-track approach, is a significant foundation for China and ASEAN countries to reach maximum consensus on the South China Sea issue.

Negotiations among relevant parties is an international practice and also the most widely accepted approach by maritime countries, Wang noted.

Liu Feng, a Hainan-based expert on Chinese maritime issues, told the Global Times that the approach is constructive as it motivates those countries to cooperate on issues that are less sensitive and beneficial to both sides, and could build mutual trust and help ease disputes.

"The dual-track approach could effectively curb malicious provocation from outside parties and to avoid turning the South China Sea region into a palestra of big powers, especially when the stability and peace of this region is challenged by recent moves from outside countries like the US and Japan," said Liu.

In a commentary published in the People's Daily on April 23, Shen Dingli, associate dean of the Institute of International Studies at Fudan University, said ASEAN's interests will be disturbed or even kept hostage by any one country if countries go against the dual-track approach, calling Manila's arbitration case "an action against the approach."

Peace and stability in the South China Sea will also be damaged by intervention from countries outside the region, which is something both China and the ASEAN don't want to see, Shen added.

At a press briefing in January, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said that the "dual-track" approach is widely accepted, after Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong said that individual countries should settle disputes among themselves without the involvement of ASEAN.

Sudan on Thursday voiced support to countries which choose to resolve differences through negotiations based on international law to preserve peace in the South China Sea region, the latest country to support China's stance on the sea disputes, according to Xinhua.

A total of 12 countries have voiced their support to China's position on the South China Sea issue, including India, Russia, Brunei, Pakistan and Poland, according to Xinhua.

 



 



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