Fifth East Asia Summit

The fifth East Asia Summit (EAS), held on 30 October at the Vietnamese capital Hanoi, was chaired by Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and attended by Leaders of ASEAN countries, China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, and India. Also in presence were Russian Foreign Minister and US Secretary of State who represented their respective Presidents as special guests of the chair and participated at the last session of the Summit.

Hanoi Declaration
The Leaders reaffirmed the agreed principles, objectives and modalities of the EAS and adopted the Hanoi Declaration on the Commemoration of the Fifth Anniversary of East Asia Summit, in which they reiterated their commitment for continued efforts to enhance dialogue and cooperation and set out direction and priority of development for the next period.

The Leaders agreed to intensify cooperation in five priority areas, namely education, finance, energy, disaster management and avian flu prevention, while exploring the possibilities of cooperation in some new areas like post-crisis recovery, sustainable development, climate change etc. The Leaders of EAS participating countries expressed support for the ASEAN Leaders' Statement on Human Resources and Skills Development for Economic Recovery and Sustainable Growth, which was adopted at the 17th ASEAN Summit, and affirmed their close coordination with ASEAN toward sustainable economic growth in the region. The EAS countries agreed to conduct further study on the possibility of establishing the East Asia Free Trade Area (EAFTA), in parallel with the Comprehensive Economic Partnership in East Asia (CEPEA) and tasked senior officials to work on the issue and submit concrete recommendations to the Leaders.

Regional and International Issues
The EAS Leaders exchanged views on regional and international issues of mutual interest, including closer coordination and consultation to prepare for the participation and contribution of the ASEAN Chair at the upcoming G20 Summit in Seoul, Korea, the situation on the Korean Peninsula, the global nuclear issue etc.

Recognizing the growing importance of the EAS in promoting dialogue and cooperation in the region, the EAS Leaders committed to further promote dialogue and cooperation on broad strategic political and economic issues for peace, stability and prosperity in East Asia, including dealing with traditional and non-traditional challenges, at the same time, support and assist the peaceful settlement of disputes on the basis of international laws.

The Leaders tasked the Ministers and senior officials to explore ways and means for the improvement of proper mechanism to effectively implement the Leaders' decisions towards an action-oriented EAS process.

The Leaders discussed the expansion of the East Asia Summit and the evolving regional architecture. The EAS Leaders supported ASEAN's view on the formation of a regional architecture, based on the existing regional cooperation processes and ensuring ASEAN centrality. The Leaders welcomed the pro-active participation and constructive contribution of external partners in dealing with emerging challenges facing the region. Taking into account the desire and the potential of contribution by Russia and the United States to this open and inclusive forum, the fifth EAS decided to officially invite Russia and the United States to participate in the EAS from 2011.

Fourth ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting

Vietnam is the rotating ASEAN Chair for 2010. The Fourth ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting has just been held in the Vietnamese capital, Hanoi. Before the ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting convened in Hanoi, China has sent out a strong message to warn Vietnam and ASEAN that if Vietnam insisted on discussing the territorial dispute in South China Sea at the ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting, China would not participate in the ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting Plus Partner Dialogue to be held later on.

The diplomatic circle in Hanoi was shocked that China would send out such a message to Vietnam and to ASEAN countries before the Fourth ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting convened in Hanoi.

China said that if Vietnam insisted on discussing issues relating to the South China Sea territorial disputes in any of the ASEAN meetings, including the ASEAN Defense Minister Meeting, China would not want to participate in ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting Plus Partner Dialogue to be held later on.

Vietnamese Defense Minister Feng Guangqing who chaired the press conference said that the Fourth ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting did not address the issues relating to the territorial disputes on South China Sea. He was responded to China Press reporter's query on this issue.

Ever since Vietnam took over the ASEAN Chair this year, the relationship between Vietnam and China has turned into a stage of 'becoming tense internally but distancing apart externally.' Following China's sending out such a message to ASEAN, we can expect China's relationship with ASEAN over defense issue to tense up in the coming days.

Vietnam will host the ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting Plus Partner Dialogue. This ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting Plus Dialogue is expected to be held in October this year. Eight countries have become ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting's dialogue partners. They are Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Russia and the United States.

Has South China Sea Marine Territorial Dispute Become Internationalized?
Is response to China's accusation that Vietnam has 'internationalized 'or 'ASEAN-ized ' the South China Sea territorial dispute issue, a senior defense official from Vietnam defended that Vietnam was not the initiator to turn the South China Sea marine territorial dispute issue into internationalized or ASEAN-ized issue. He said: 'China should aware of the fact that marine territory and land territory are two different things. Marine territories are in the open seas and public waters. It will most frequently involve the strategic interests of many countries. As such, it is natural for the superpower to come forward and carry out strategic game. China should not hold the opinion that it was Vietnam that has internationalized the South China Sea territorial dispute issue.'

He stressed that bringing the South China Sea marine territorial right issue up at ASEAN meeting did not mean that ASEAN wanted to collectively confront China over the South China Sea territorial issue. Instead, ASEAN wanted to form a united front to discuss issues concerning regional security.

'We do not understand why someone would think that Vietnam wanted ASEAN to collectively confront China. Did Vietnam ever say that Vietnam want ASEAN to take collective military action on China over the South China Sea marine territorial conflict? Vietnam will adhere to the use of a harmonious approach to resolve this problem.'

Joint Simulation Exercise on Humanitarian Relief
Vietnamese Defense Minister Feng Guangqing who is also the chair for the 2010 ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting said ASEAN countries would, in the near future, carry out an 'ASEAN jointed simulation of humanitarian relief operations' exercise. This would allow ASEAN nations to have good preparation to cope with the threat of natural disasters.

In his opening remarks for the Fourth ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting, Vietnamese Defense Minister Feng Guangqing pointed that that since the inaugural of ADDM held in Malaysia in 2005, the defense and security cooperation of ASEAN countries has become more mature and closer as years went by.

He pointed out that 'having close and effective defense cooperation among ASEAN countries could create a stable region so that people in ASEAN can live in a peaceful, stable and sustainable regional environment.'

ASEAN Shares Common Interest
At this juncture a phenomenon was observed. This phenomenon is that among ASEAN nations there are indeed some ASEAN countries who feel that the South China Sea is of common interest to ASEAN as a whole. During the reporter's stay in Hanoi to cover the ADDM event and talked to some ASEAN nations' senior defense officials, these senior defense officials frankly acknowledged that as a matter of fact, they did share the common view that South China Sea was indeed a part of ASEAN. In addition, these officials also shared the view that South China Sea would also fall into the peripheral interest of countries near the ASEAN region. This is a very interesting finding because this phenomenon has reflected that the 'new ASEAN Spratly Islands' consensus is implicitly possible to form given more time. What is lacking is only an official declaration.

Basically, deep within us, we all agree that the dispute over marine sovereignty right in the South China Sea can shake the security and stability of ASEAN countries. This is because the South China Sea is located within the ASEAN sea waters. There is a political responsibility for all ASEAN nations to jointly safeguard the harmonious beauty of this part of the sea. China should understand that once the 'New ASEAN Spratly Islands' becomes an official consensus and exists as an institutionalized consensus; this shared solidarity on South China Sea does not mean that ASEAN is trying to challenge China.

Before leaving Hanoi, the writer of this report ponders upon this question: 'When a harmonious and united ASEAN body tries to use a harmony voice to discuss with China over the marine territorial dispute in South China Sea, what sort of threat can ASEAN pose to China? Why should China always be so resistant not wanting to talk about this issue? Why cannot China adopt a broad mindset to hear the harmonious voice of ASEAN?

Indonesia Not To Discuss ACFTA in ASEAN Summit

The Indonesian Government is not going to include the agenda of discussing ASEAN China (ACFTA) in 16th ASEAN Summit, to be held from 6 to 9 April in Hanoi, Vietnam. Trade Minister Mari Elka Pangestu said: "We are not going to discuss about ACFTA," after coordination meeting preparing for the ASEAN Summit 2010 at the office of Coordinating Ministry of the Economy.

Free Trade Renegotiation
Whereas, during the coordination meeting, the Foreign Affairs Minister, Marty Nata Legawa said anything of Indonesia's concern would be discussed in the forum. Yet, Marty refused to comment when he was asked about whether the free trade renegotiation would become the agenda of the ASEAN Summit. "Ask the Trade Minister," he said.

Mari explained that the ASEAN Summit will focus more on the schedule and blue print of the establishment of ASEAN Economic Community. "ASEAN Economic Community requires good coordination and preparation," Mari said. A number of preparations that should be done in 2010 include the readiness of standard, investment targets and service.

Preparing Infrastructure
Coordinating Economy Minister, Hatta Rajasa said, Indonesia is expected to have better preparation compared to other countries. "If we are not ready, we will step back and say that we are not yet ready," he said after the coordination meeting.

ASEAN Economic Community has four pillars, single market of ASEAN, economy development in ASEAN, even distribution of economy, and the increase global competitiveness. In addition to preparing the infrastructure, ASEAN Economic Community also obliges government to prepare institutions, such as banking institution.

The government should also prepare open sky policy. Indonesia is going to limit the open sky implementation to the areas of Medan, Jakarta, and Makassar.