| President Barack Obama and Southeast Asian leaders | | | | measures against Japan if the captain is not |
| meet in New York Friday, September 24, as relations | | | | immediately released. |
| between East Asia's two big powers - China and | | | | Kitti Prasirtsuk, an associate dean of international |
| Japan - are increasingly strained. Territorial disputes | | | | relations at Thammasat University in Thailand, says |
| with China over uninhabited islands in the western | | | | the situation has implications for ASEAN. |
| Pacific are expected to dominate the discussions. | | | | "The issue between Japan and China is not different |
| South China Sea territorial claims | | | | from what's happening in the South China Sea," said |
| President Obama and leaders from the 10-member | | | | Kitti. "I think the Chinese stance would definitely |
| Association of Southeast Asian Nations are expected | | | | affect ASEAN sentiments…. It would even heighten |
| to call for a peaceful solution to the South China Sea | | | | the importance of the talks about the South China |
| territorial dispute. | | | | Sea." |
| The issue flared up earlier this year when China | | | | Kitti adds ASEAN would like U.S. involvement in the |
| claimed the vital shipping lane as part of its core | | | | region but not to the extent that it jeopardizes ties |
| national interest. Last month, its navy planted a flag | | | | with China, a top source of investments and trade. |
| at the bottom of the South China Sea in a show of | | | | "China-ASEAN trade will grow anyway because our |
| sovereignty. | | | | [economic] interdependence has been increasing over |
| But the Philippines, Vietnam, Brunei, Taiwan and | | | | the past decade or so. ASEAN has to play a delicate |
| Malaysia also have claims on the South China Sea, | | | | game to get the U.S. involved so as to check China a |
| and the uninhabited Spratly Island chain within it. In | | | | bit as well," said Kitti. |
| 1988, Vietnam and China fought deadly clashes there. | | | | The meeting in New York on the sidelines of the |
| The seabed around the islands is thought to be rich in | | | | United Nations' annual General Assembly will be the |
| resources such as oil and gas. | | | | second between President Obama and ASEAN |
| This week, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman | | | | leaders. |
| Jiang Yu warned ASEAN and the U.S. against issuing a | | | | |
| statement on the region. | | | | Fighting terrorism |
| Jiang says outside parties should not interfere with | | | | The talks also are expected to include security |
| the dispute. She says the issue should not be | | | | cooperation, especially in the fight against terrorism. |
| internationalized because it will not solve the problem | | | | Patricio Abinales is a Philippine scholar and a fellow at |
| and would only make it complicated. | | | | the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington. He |
| Multilateral approach | | | | expects more U.S. assistance to Thailand and the |
| ASEAN has called for multilateral talks to settle South | | | | Philippines, focused on their southern regions, which |
| China Sea boundaries but Beijing rejects that idea. | | | | have been wracked by Muslim insurgencies. |
| In July, U.S. Secretary State Hillary Clinton told ASEAN | | | | "The U.S. will continue to be concerned about the |
| foreign ministers that Washington has an interest in | | | | way al-Qaida [and] Jemaah Islamiyah operate in the |
| keeping the waters open to all. | | | | region," he said. "They've also realized the |
| Simon Tay, chairman of the Singapore Institute of | | | | Islamic-related tensions in Southeast Asia, with the |
| International Affairs, says Washington must raise its | | | | exception of Indonesia, are very indigenous and |
| engagement with ASEAN, but not to isolate China. | | | | homegrown and so the aim there is to try to keep it |
| "Southeast Asians have shown they're quite | | | | at a low level, negotiate with local Islamic movements |
| concerned about what China is doing and how China | | | | and assist the governments of Thailand and the |
| will respond," said Tay. "The U.S.-ASEAN summit, if it | | | | Philippines deal with more extremist groups." |
| is to be useful, will not be simply the U.S. trying to | | | | The U.S. Agency on International Development |
| get ASEAN countries to get into the U.S. orbit again, | | | | started a five-year $30 million program in southern |
| wholly on their side, because Southeast Asian | | | | Thailand earlier this year, and has poured at least |
| countries would be stupid to do that. But I think it will | | | | US$345 million into Mindanao in the Philippines since |
| be a kind of strategic dialogue that can then | | | | 2000. |
| triangulate with China and the rest of Asia." | | | | Friday's meeting will be Mr. Obama's first meeting with |
| Chinese Boat captain detained | | | | Philippine President Benigno Aquino III, who took |
| Friday's meeting comes as relations between China | | | | office in June. |
| and Japan have deteriorated over a separate | | | | However, Indonesian President Susilo Bambang |
| territorial dispute. Japan detained a Chinese boat | | | | Yudhoyono will be absent. President Obama's visit to |
| captain earlier this month, after a collision between his | | | | Indonesia, another ally in the war on terrorism, has |
| boat and Japanese patrol boats near islands Beijing | | | | been postponed three times this year. Jakarta says |
| and Tokyo both claim. | | | | the president has previous commitments and will |
| Beijing cut off government exchanges with Tokyo | | | | send Vice President Boediono instead. |
| and Premier Wen Jiabao says Beijing will take further | | | | |