The concluding session of the two-day 20th ASEAN summit is held in Phnom Penh, capital of Combodia on April 4, 2012.  Photo: Xinhua

The 20th ASEAN Summit concluded in Phnom Penh Wednesday, with little response to a call by the Philippines for the bloc to forge a common position on a code of conduct for the South China Sea.

The two-day summit, under the theme of ASEAN: One Community, One Destiny, celebrated the group's 45th anniversary by reviewing its major achievements and by spelling out priorities for 2012.

According to the Phnom Penh Agenda on ASEAN Community Building, the bloc will emphasize on strengthening the mechanism for ensuring financial stability in the region, narrowing development gaps among group members, expanding the ASEAN Infrastructure Fund, enhancing disaster management ability and boosting agricultural cooperation.

Leaders also reaffirmed their commitment to implementing the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea dating back in 2002, despite Philippine President Benigno Aquino III's suggestion that the group should set out a code of conduct before negotiating with China on the matter.

China claims indisputable sovereignty over islands and their adjacent waters in the South China Sea, but several countries in the region, such as the Philippines and Vietnam, have made competing claims.

"It is important that we maintain ASEAN centrality. After the code of conduct has been finalized, then ASEAN member states will meet with China," Aquino addressed the summit on Tuesday.

The president's political affairs adviser issued a statement in Manila saying there was a consensus among ASEAN states to support Manila's "multilateral" recommendations, but a Philippine diplomat told Reuters that member countries were either lukewarm to the proposal or had ignored it altogether.

When attending the 19th ASEAN summit in the Indonesian resort of Bali in November, Premier Wen Jiabao said China is working actively to promote the final conclusion of the code of conduct, and that South China Sea disputes should only be discussed by the countries concerned.

"Outside forces should not get involved under any excuse. China is ready to work actively with ASEAN members to fully implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, enhance practical cooperation and begin discussions on a code of conduct in the sea," Wen said.

"Aquino's proposal of creating the code without China's participation is not surprising, as the Philippines, along with Vietnam, has been active in advocating territorial claims in the South China Sea," Zhuang Guotu, an expert on Southeast Asian studies at Xiamen University, told the Global Times Wednesday.

"ASEAN may eventually work out the code on their own, as the 2002 declaration was also drafted by the bloc and then signed by member states and China. But the group needs to consider Beijing's position and interests when forming the code," Zhuang said.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa told reporters Wednesday that ASEAN would formulate a code of conduct, but with "constant communication through the ASEAN-China framework."

Natalegawa said it was important to "hear what China's views are so that we can really develop a position that is cohesive and coherent."

Concerning media reports that Chinese President Hu Jintao's visit to Cambodia ahead of the ASEAN Summit was aimed to pressure Phnom Penh on the South China Sea issue, Cambodian Premier Hun Sen said Wednesday that Hu's visit was solely to further enhance Cambodia-China ties.

"There is no hindrance from China to work with ASEAN in solving the South China Sea issue," he told reporters, terming as "silly" media speculation that China had made Cambodia keep the South China Sea issue off the summit's list of topics to be discussed.

According to China National Radio, Chinese tourism authorities are considering promoting tourism in the Xisha Islands in a move that will be constructive for solving territory disputes in the South China Sea.

Also Wednesday, the PLA Pictorial published a series of photos reporting a recent live fire maneuver conducted by the South China Sea Fleet.

Using helicopters as surveillance and target indication platform, the home-built 054A class frigates conducted over-the-horizon anti-ship missile attacks, the report said.

The medium-caliber main guns of the frigates and their small caliber anti-missile guns have efficiently downed all incoming anti-ship missiles launched by "enemy aircraft," according to the pictorial.

Besides, the frigates also conducted anti-aircrafts, anti-submarine and electronic warfare drills in the intensive 5-day maneuver, it added.

Agencies contributed to this story
South China Sea Conflict