ID :
254337
Sat, 09/08/2012 - 04:31
Auther :

Crucial for Asean to Take Stand on South China Sea Disputes - Singapore PM

SINGAPORE, Sept 8 (Bernama) -- Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong says it is crucial for Asean to weigh in on the territorial disputes in the South China Sea with a view of resolving them constructively, reported local television Channel NewsAsia (CNA). He urged the regional grouping not to stay mum on the code of conduct for the South China Sea. CNA quoted Lee as speaking to the Singapore media at the end of his official visit to China in Beijing on Friday. Lee also underscored the need for Singapore to make clear its stand on the issue. Singapore is pushing for Asean to start discussion and take a stand on the code of conduct for the South China Sea. At the end of his week-long tour of China, Lee said issues such as freedom of navigation and the need for stability in the South China Sea affected all Asean countries, not just those with competing territorial claims. The prime minister was quoted as saying that members would have disputes, but Asean had to take a stand and could take a neutral stand. "It's like when the Thais had a dispute with Cambodia, Asean made a statement which didn't take sides with either Thailand or Cambodia. "This was over the Preah Vihear temple, but Asean did have a view that it should be settled peacefully because otherwise it was going to do harm to Asean." He called the South China Sea issue a "difficult dispute" and said Singapore had to speak constructively and encourage moderation on all sides. Lee said: "We can't speak for America, we should not speak for America, we should not speak for China. "We have to speak from Singapore's perspective. The Chinese understand our position. It's not inimical to the Chinese view and it is not very different in many major elements with what China is trying to achieve, because China does not want to raise a temperature or to have a conflict either. On Singapore's role in China's development, Lee said the private sector was increasingly taking the lead, while the Singapore government played a supporting role. Bilateral relations had also moved from economics to cooperation in other areas such as tourism and traffic management, he said. -- BERNAMA

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