[vnforum] China and Southeast Asia sign wide-ranging non-aggression pact

[kenneth phan]

China and Southeast Asia sign wide-ranging
non-aggression pact
Wed Oct 8, 2:35  


NUSA DUA, Indonesia (AFP) - Nuclear-armed China signed
a non-aggression pact with Southeast Asian states, the
first country outside the region to do so. 

Foreign ministers of the 10-member Association of
Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and of China signed
the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation Wednesday after an
ASEAN-China summit. 


"It shows the element of trust between China and
ASEAN. That's a very important statement by both
sides," said Singapore Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong. 


"It basically would try to stop problems, if there are
any, through dialogue and negotiations," he told AFP. 


China has overlapping claims over the potentially
oil-rich Spratly archipelago in the South China Sea
with some ASEAN states, some of whom also have
disputes with each other about the islands. 


Vietnam and China have clashed twice over the
Spratlys, in 1988 and 1992, while skirmishes have also
occurred between other countries. Vietnam and China
also fought a brief land border war in 1978. 


Another nuclear power, India, was later Wednesday to
sign the treaty, which already binds all ASEAN members
and renounces the threat or use of force to settle
disputes. 


ASEAN and China also signed a "Declaration on
Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity." 


Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing said the pacts
"will definitely bring substantial benefit to China
and ASEAN." 


Indonesian Foreign Minister Hassan Wirayuda said that
when India signed the non-aggression treaty "we have
almost three billion people grouped under the same
rules of good conduct." 


He said he hoped Japan and South Korea (news - web
sites) would soon follow suit. 


"It will certainly help to develop not only peace and
stability, but prosperity in the region," Wirayuda
said. 


Malaysian Trade Minister Rafidah Aziz said the pacts
show that "China is integrating progressively into the
East Asian region as an important partner for future
development, growth and stability of the region." 


Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao earlier offered to work
with Southeast Asia to fight terrorism. 


"At present, we are all faced with threats posed by
terrorism, religious extremism and separatism, as well
as challenges from other transnational problems," he
said in a speech at the summit. 


The summit is being held on the resort island of Bali,
where Islamic extremists killed 202 people in twin
nightclub bombings almost one year ago. 


Wen said China is "completely positive" in
implementing a declaration signed last year with
ASEAN, aimed at preventing an escalation of tensions
over the Spratlys. 

   



On Monday China and ASEAN agreed on a special
tariff-busting programme to kickstart their grand plan
to set up the world's largest free trade area in terms
of population. 

The free trade area, covering 1.7 billion consumers
with a combined gross domestic product of two trillion
dollars, is scheduled to be in place by 2010 for most
of ASEAN. 

Wen said two-way trade had grown sixfold in the past
decade and was worth 47.7 billion dollars in the first
eight months of this year. 

Southeast Asian nations are suffering a major shift in
foreign investment from their one-time miracle
economies into booming China. 

But Wen stressed that "China's development will spell
opportunities for ASEAN and a strong ASEAN also serves
China's interests." 




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