Philippines urges Asean to unite on sea dispute
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A US Navy E-2C Hawkeye aircraft prepares to land on the deck of the nuclear-powered USS George Washington (CVN73) off southern coast of Vietnam in South China Sea on Saturday, Oct 20, 2012. A US aircraft carrier group cruised through the disputed South China Sea on Saturday in a show of American power in waters that are fast becoming a focal point of Washington's strategic rivalry with Beijing. Philippine President Benigno Aquino urged South-east Asian countries on Thursday to present a united front to China over the South China Sea at an upcoming regional summit. -- PHOTO: AP
MANILA (AFP) - Philippine President Benigno Aquino urged South-east Asian countries on Thursday to present a united front to China over the South China Sea at an upcoming regional summit.
Mr Aquino said all 10 Asean members should speak with one voice at the East Asia summit in Cambodia next week.
"We can talk to the other claimants that aren't Asean members but since we want to maintain Asean's centrality, we must have just one voice in Asean... in this regard," he told reporters.
He noted that Asean included four countries with some overlapping claims to islands and waters in the South China Sea - the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam. Non-members China and Taiwan also have their own claims.
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