South China Sea territorial contest a test of Asean’s unity and credibility, says Mohamed Khaled

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 29 — Asean member states should not allow overlapping maritime claims in the South China Sea to fracture the peace and solidarity in the region, Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said.

Speaking at the 20th Asean Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM), Mohamed Khaled said the Asean solidarity is one of the bloc’s greatest strengths that must be preserved.

“The South China Sea represents one of the most consequential tests of Asean’s unity, credibility, and commitment to its founding principles,” Mohamed Khaled told his Asean counterparts in Cebu, the Philippines yesterday.

“Several member states have overlapping maritime claims, and each has legitimate interests in safeguarding its sovereignty and territorial rights.

“But no dispute, however deeply rooted, should be allowed to fracture Asean or undermine the peace we have spent decades building,” he said.

Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Brunei, China and Vietnam have competing claims over territories in the contested waters.

Asean and China signed a non-binding Declaration on the Conduct of Parties (DoC) in 2002 and talks for a binding Code of Conduct (CoC) have been underway since 2013. Both parties are reportedly expecting to finalise the CoC by end of this year.

Stronger regional disaster response capability needed

As the region increasingly grapple with the ravages of climate change, Mohamed Khaled said Asean requires a stronger, more coordinated and effective regional disaster response capability.

He pointed out that Asean already has essential mechanisms in place, such as the Asean Militaries Ready Group on Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (AMRG on HADR).

The mechanism provides a framework to coordinate military assistance and facilitate the deployment of military assets to disaster-affected areas, which was reflected in Asean’s response to the devastating earthquake in Myanmar last year.

“We must now build upon these foundations to strengthen operational readiness, improve coordination and ensure that our armed forces can respond swiftly and effectively when disasters strike,” he said.

Confronting new threats

Established in 2006, the ADMM marked its 20th anniversary this year under the chairmanship of the Philippines with the theme “Navigating Our Future, Together”.

As such, Mohamed Khaled called on the ADMM to develop strong local and regional capacity to respond to new non-traditional threats effectively.

“The threats confronting Asean today are more complex, more interconnected, and potentially more destructive than ever before.

“We must acknowledge that non-traditional threats are no longer distant possibilities. These threats are real, recurring and increasingly difficult to ignore,” he said.

Mohamed Khaled also reminded his counterparts that Asean member states cannot effectively combat the evolving security challenges by working in silos.

“No Asean member state, regardless of its resources, can address these challenges entirely on its own.

“Asean’s future cannot be secured by any one member state acting alone.

“Our strength rests on the trust we build among ourselves, our willingness to manage differences constructively, and our determination to uphold the wider interests of the region,” he added.

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吉隆坡，10月29日讯——国防部长拿督斯里穆罕默德·卡立·诺丁表示，东盟成员国不应允许南海重叠的海洋主张破坏该地区的和平与团结。

穆罕默德·哈立德在第20届东盟国防部长会议上表示，东盟团结是该集团最大的优势之一，必须予以维护。

“南海问题对东盟的团结、信誉和对其创始原则的承诺而言，是一次意义最为重大的考验，”穆罕默德·哈立德昨天在菲律宾宿务向东盟各国领导人表示。

“一些成员国拥有重叠的海洋主张，每个成员国在维护其主权和领土权利方面都有合法利益。

“但是，任何争端，无论多么根深蒂固，都不应该被允许分裂东盟或破坏我们几十年来建立的和平，”他说。

马来西亚、菲律宾、越南、文莱、中国和越南对争议水域的领土主张存在冲突。

东盟和中国于2002年签署了不具约束力的《缔约方行为宣言》（DoC），自2013年以来，双方一直在就具有约束力的《行为准则》（CoC）进行谈判。据报道，双方都希望在今年年底前最终敲定《行为准则》。

需要更强大的区域灾害应对能力

穆罕默德·哈立德表示，随着该地区日益受到气候变化的破坏，东盟需要更强大、更协调、更有效的区域灾害应对能力。

他指出，东盟已经建立了必要的机制，例如东盟人道主义援助和灾害救援军事准备小组（AMRG on HADR）。

该机制为协调军事援助和促进向受灾地区部署军事资产提供了一个框架，这体现在东盟对去年缅甸毁灭性地震的应对中。

他说：“我们现在必须在此基础上加强作战准备，提高协调能力，确保我们的武装部队在灾难发生时能够迅速有效地做出反应。”

应对新的威胁

成立于 2006 年的亚洲防务会议今年在菲律宾的主持下迎来了 20 周年纪念，主题为“携手共创未来”。

因此，穆罕默德·哈立德呼吁阿布扎比防务会议发展强大的地方和区域能力，以有效应对新的非传统威胁。

“东盟目前面临的威胁比以往任何时候都更加复杂、更加相互关联，也更具破坏性。”

他说：“我们必须承认，非传统威胁不再是遥远的可能性。这些威胁是真实存在的，反复出现，而且越来越难以忽视。”

穆罕默德·哈立德还提醒他的同行们，东盟成员国不能各自为政，不能有效应对不断变化的安全挑战。

“任何东盟成员国，无论其资源如何，都无法完全依靠自身力量应对这些挑战。

“东盟的未来不能靠任何一个成员国单独行动来保障。”

他补充说：“我们的力量源于我们彼此之间建立的信任，源于我们建设性地处理分歧的意愿，源于我们维护该地区更广泛利益的决心。”

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