Sino-ASEAN ties not all about S. China Sea

[Source] : China People’s Daily

Is the South China Sea issue the most important problem in the development of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)? The ASEAN foreign ministers’ meeting held in Phnom Penh last month failed to publish a joint communiqué and the shock waves triggered by the event continues to ferment.

Philippines points the finger at Cambodia

After the ASEAN foreign ministers’ meeting, Cambodia was blamed by the Philippines and several ASEAN countries. Deputy Foreign Minister of the Philippines Brazil Rio issued an article, accusing Cambodia of hindering the publishing of the joint communiqué. Cambodian ambassador to the Philippines Hos Sereythonh made a response in an article, pointing out that the Philippines and Vietnam insisted on recording their disputes with China on the joint communiqué to kidnap the meeting.

The South China Sea issue is not the whole picture of relations between China and ASEAN

Singaporean Foreign Minister K. Shanmugam said that the disputes of South China Sea between China and some ASEAN countries cannot define the relations between China and the whole ASEAN, the Singapore-based newspaper Straits Times said on Aug. 14. Shanmugam stressed that strengthening cooperation between China and ASEAN countries especially that of bilateral trade is in line with the interests of both China and ASEAN countries.

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