No Mention of South China Sea Verdict in ASEAN’s Official Statement

Jul 26, 2016 02:44 PM EDT

(Photo : Getty Images) China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi has called on all the parties involved in the tension in the Korean peninsula to restrain from any action that could jeopardize peace in the region.

China on Monday chalked a major diplomatic triumph after a joint statement issued by foreign ministers of Southeast Asian countries made no mention of the United Nations-backed Permanent Court of Arbitration's ruling on the South China Sea, Reuters reported.

A deadlock over the statement was broken after the Philippines gave up on its demand to mention the verdict in the official statement. The Philippines' stance was supported by other claimants in 10-nation ASEAN, as well as the U.S.

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The joint statement issued on Monday by foreign ministers of Asean countries reads: "We remain seriously concerned about recent and ongoing developments and took note of the concerns expressed by some ministers on the land reclamations and escalation of activities in the area, which have eroded trust and confidence, increased tensions and may undermine peace, security, and stability in the region."

The official statement formally rounded up the 49^thASEA Foreign Ministers' Meeting that was held at Laos capital city Vientiane.

China's main ally Cambodia strongly protested the wordings of an initial statement that proposed on Sunday. The statement reportedly mentioned the verdict given by the Permanent Court of Arbitration and the need for China to respect the verdict. Cambodia's protest against the statement threw the consensus-driven ASEAN into disarray.

China publicly thanked Cambodia for its support. "China greatly approves of Cambodia and other ASEAN countries taking charge of impartiality and safeguarding fairness," China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi said.

ASEAN Secretary-General Le Luong Minh said that Monday's statement must not be perceived as a diplomatic victory for China, but ASEAN's commitment to its value and principle of finding consensus.

The Chinese government has stated that it would not accept the ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration regardless of growing pressure. China described the verdict as a "ploy" by western forces to weaken its control of the South China Sea.

TagsSouth China Sea, ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting, china, South China Sea Case Permanent Court of Arbitration