China's premier is on charm offensive as ASEAN summit protests Beijing's aggression at sea

In talks with Souast Asian leers Wednesday in Indonesian capital, Chinese Premier Li Qiang underscored his country's importance as world's second-biggest economy and as top tring partner of region. Countering renewed alarm over Beijing's aggression in disputed South China Sea, Li cited China's long history of friendship with Souast Asia, including joint efforts to confront coronavirus pandemic and how both sides have settled differences through dialogue.

“As long as we keep to right path, no matter what storm may come, China-ASEAN cooperation will be as firm as ever and press ahe against all odds,” Li told counterparts in 10-nation Association of Souast Asian Nations. “We have preserved peace and tranquility in East Asia in a world fraught with turbulence and change.” In a separate meeting with ASEAN leers, US Vice President Kamala Harris cited strategic importance of America's security and relations with Souast Asia to both sides. Her opening speech before ir closed-door summit did not carry any of usual strident US criticism of China's aggressive actions in region.

Rival claimant states in South China Sea from among ASEAN nations have protested China's aggressive moves to fortify its vast territorial claims in strategic sea passage. A new Chinese map set off a wave of protests from or countries' leers, who say it shows Beijing's expansive claims encroaching into ir coastal waters.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr has expressed his alarm over recent combativeness in disputed waters. In early August, a Chinese coast guard ship used a water cannon to try to block a Philippine navy-operated boat that was bringing supplies to Filipino forces in disputed Second Thomas Shoal.

"We do not seek conflict, but it is our duty as citizens and as leers to always rise to meet any challenge to our sovereignty, to our sovereign rights, and our maritime jurisdictions in South China Sea,” Marcos told fellow leers in an ASEAN-only meeting Tuesday.

A copy of Marcos' remarks during ASEAN's hourlong meeting with Qiang on Wednesday issued to journalists showed Philippine president fired a veiled critique but did not raise any specific aggressions in disputed sea. Philippines “continues to uphold primacy of 1982 UN Convention on Law of Sea as framework within which all activities in seas and oceans are conducted,” Marcos said in meeting. “We once again reaffirm our commitment to rule of law and peaceful settlement of disputes." In 2016, an arbitration tribunal in Hague, Nerlands, set up under that United Nations convention, ruled that China's vast territorial claims in South China Sea based on historical grounds have no legal basis.

China, a full dialogue partner of ASEAN, did not participate in arbitration sought in 2013 by Philippines, rejected 2016 ruling, and continues to defy it. China, Taiwan and some ASEAN member states - Brunei, Malaysia, Philippines and Vietnam - have been locked for deces in an increasingly tense territorial standoff in South China Sea, where a bulk of global tre transits. It's also become a delicate frontline in US-China rivalry.

Washington does not lay any claim to offshore region but has deployed its warships and fighters to undertake what it says are freedom of navigation and overflight patrols. China has warned US not to meddle in what it says is a purely Asian dispute. South China Sea conflicts do not directly include rest of ASEAN - Cambodia, Laos, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand and Myanmar. Questions have been raised why regional bloc, and its current leer Indonesia, failed to issue any expression of alarm over Chinese coast guard's actions, which were strongly opposed by US and or Western and Asian nations.

Marty Natalegawa, a respected former foreign minister of Indonesia, called ASEAN's failure to condemn China's aggressive acts “a deafening silence".

Aside from long-simmering territorial conflicts, Jakarta summit talks focused on protracted civil strife in Myanmar, which has tested ASEAN and caused divisions among member states on how to effectively resolve crisis. An assessment of a five-point ASEAN peace plan showed it has failed to make any significant progress since it was introduced two years ago. plan calls for an immediate end to dely hostilities, and a dialogue between contending parties, including that of Aung San Suu Kyi and or democratically elected officials who were overthrown by army in an internationally condemned seizure of power that sparked a civil strife.

Despite plan's failure so far, ASEAN leers decided to stick with it and continue to ban Myanmar's generals and ir appointed officials from bloc's high-level summit meetings - including ongoing talks in Jakarta, an ASEAN statement said.

Harris told regional bloc's leers that US “will continue to press regime to end horrific violence, to release all those unjustly detained and to reestablish Myanmar's inclusive democracy”. She ded that Washington will continue to support ASEAN's peace plan for Myanmar. Myanmar security forces have killed about 4,000 civilians and arrested 24,410 ors since army takeover, according to rights monitoring organisation Assistance Association for Political Prisoners.