Kuala Lumpur. The Philippines called on its Southeast Asian neighbors to unite in urging China to halt reclamation of land in the South China Sea, but the call failed to raise widespread support ahead of a regional summit.

China claims 90 percent of the South China Sea, which is believed to be rich in oil and gas. Its claims overlap with those of Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Taiwan.

Recent satellite images suggest China has made rapid progress in filling in land in contested territory in the Spratly islands and in building an airstrip suitable for military use and that it may be planning another.

In a speech to foreign ministers ahead of the official opening of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Philippine Foreign Minister Albert del Rosario did not name China directly but said its “northern neighbor” was quickly advancing with land reclamation.

“Is it not time for ASEAN to say to our northern neighbor that what it is doing is wrong and that the massive reclamations must be immediately stopped?” Rosario asked.

The territorial dispute is seen as one of Asia’s hot spots, posing risks that it could result in conflict as countries aggressively stake their claims.

China has said the recent construction is meant to serve civilian purposes such as fishing and search and rescue.

At the ministers’ meeting on Sunday morning, only the Philippines and Vietnam spoke about the South China Sea dispute, while the other states were more concerned about setting up a single time zone, an ASEAN diplomat told Reuters. There was no consensus on the time zone.

ASEAN summit host Malaysia is likely to steer clear of criticizing China, its biggest trade partner, a draft end-statement seen by Reuters showed.

Anifah Aman, Malaysia’s foreign minister, told a news conference later on Sunday that some members had raised concerns over the dispute.

“It would be much appreciated if China can stop work and sit down with ASEAN states to discuss and find a solution,” Anifah said. “We have to solve the problem among ourselves before we go and discuss with China.”

Philippine President Benigno Aquino and Vietnam Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung are set to meet on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit on Sunday night to firm up a strategic partnership deal and discuss the South China Sea issue.

The official opening of the ASEAN summit is to take place in Kuala Lumpur on Monday.

Del Rosario said the reclamation would probably be finished before China agrees to a legally binding code of conduct over the South China Sea. China and ASEAN agreed on an informal code of conduct in 2002.

ASEAN Secretary General Le Luong Minh told Reuters in an interview that it has become urgent for ASEAN and China to conclude the code early.

Reuters

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Manila. The United States has asked for access to Philippine military bases in eight locations to rotate troops, aircraft, and ships as Washington shifts its forces to Asia and as China expands its military presence in the South China Sea.

US Defense Secretary Ash Carter, in a speech in Arizona, has outlined Washington’s next phase in its Asia “pivot,” deploying its most sophisticated destroyers, bombers and fighters to the region.

The Asia “pivot” has already seen US Marines rotating through the Australian tropical city of Darwin, the country’s closest city to Asia, for training.

At least eight locations in the Philippines have been identified as possible sites where US troops, planes and ships will be rotated through a series of military training and exercises, Philippine General Gregorio Catapang, military chief, told local television network ABS-CBN.

But the Americans will have to wait until after the Philippine’s Supreme Court makes its rulings on the constitutionality of the military deal, called Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement, signed last year between Manila and Washington. It may decide later this year.

“If we formalize [now] and they start putting up structures and it’s not constitutional, they will have to destroy those structures,” Catapang said late on Friday, adding the list was finalized in October during a Mutual Defense Board meeting.

Four of the locations are on the main island of Luzon, where US and Filipino soldiers usually hold exercises, two on the central Cebu island, and two more on the western island of Palawan, near the disputed Spratly Islands.

China claims most of the potentially energy-rich South China Sea, disputed in parts with the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan, and denies accusations its actions in its own territory are provocative.

Recent satellite images suggest China has made rapid progress in building an airstrip suitable for military use in contested territory in the Spratly Islands, which drew concern from the United States and its allies in Asia.

“Once the US rebalance to Asia policy is in full swing, the Philippines expect the Americans to seek more access to military bases on Mindanao island and civilian airstrips on Luzon,” a senior air force official familiar with the arrangements said.

“The Americans are interested in Laoag airport and Batanes island, both in the northern part of Luzon,” he said, adding US planes had landed on Batanes during the war in Iraq and Afghanistan in the early 2000s.

The United States is also interested to return to its two former military bases in Subic and Clark, which they left in 1992 after the Philippines terminated basing agreement.

Reuters

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Manila. The Philippines dismissed concerns by China over its plan to repair military facilities in South China Sea, a foreign ministry spokesman said on Saturday, insisting Manila has sovereign rights over territories in the disputed areas.

The possible repair “is no way comparable to China’s massive reclamation activities, which not only violate international law…but also unnecessarily raise regional tensions”, spokesman Charles Jose said in a statement.

“China’s recent statement expressing concern over what the Philippines plan to do should not distract us from the real issues in the South China Sea, which are China’s illegitimate ‘nine-dash line’ claim,” Jose said.

Maritime lawyers note Beijing routinely outlines the scope of its claims with reference to the so-called nine-dashed line that takes in about 90 percent of the 3.5 million square kilometers South China Sea on Chinese maps.

The South China Sea is believed to be rich in oil and gas. Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Taiwan lay claim to parts of the sea, where about $5 trillion of ship-borne trade passes every year.

The territorial dispute is seen as one of Asia’s hot spots, carrying risks that it could spiral out of control and result in conflict as countries aggressively stake their claims.

On Friday, China’s foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said it was “seriously concerned” by the remarks by Philippine Foreign Minister Albert del Rosario on the possible resumption of repairs on an airstrip on Thitu Island.

“This is not only a serious infringement of China’s sovereignty, but it also exposes the Philippines’ hypocrisy,” she told a daily news briefing, calling on the Philippines to withdraw from the islands.

Manila had halted activities last year over concerns about the effect on an international arbitration complaint it filed against China in 2013. A decision is expected in early 2016. Hua repeated that China would not participate in the case.

Manila called on all claimant-states last October to stop construction work on small islands and reefs in the South China Sea. China itself is undertaking massive reclamation works in the area, while Taiwan, Malaysia and Vietnam have also been improving their facilities.

Reuters

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