The Association of Southeast Asian Nations on Thursday urged all parties to act with “wisdom and prudence” to uphold peace and security in the South China Sea, warning that any disruption to the vital waterway could have a disastrous effect on global trade.
Escalating trade and technology tensions between the United States and China have put Asean member nations under increased pressure to pick a side.
Asean has long been reliant on Washington as a security counterbalance to Beijing’s expansive claim over the South China Sea, even as the region leans closer to the Asian superpower to bolster trade and cushion the blow from punishing American tariffs of up to 40 per cent that US President Donald Trump has said will kick in on August 1.
But Southeast Asia faced real risks from increasing global uncertainty and geopolitical tensions, which could shake the region’s peace and stability, Asean warned on Thursday.
“We must therefore ensure that geopolitical tensions do not escalate or threaten to undermine security and global trade in the South China Sea,” Malaysia’s Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan said in his opening remarks at the Asean-China meeting in Kuala Lumpur.
“Towards this end, Asean calls on all parties to manage the situation in the South China Sea with wisdom and prudence.”
