EU-ASEAN Joint Declaration: Disputes in the South China Sea Must Be Resolved by Legal MeansRecently, the European Union and ASEAN issued a joint declaration on China on the South China Sea. The announcement highlights that China and the Philippines should properly handle disputes in the South China Sea in accordance with international law and maintain peace and security in the South China Sea. Although the talks did not attract the attention of a major force like the United States, the European Union said it could still engage in the South China Sea. The South China Sea issue has always been a hot topic of great concern. Both China and the Philippines are at loggerheads over the South China Sea, but international attitudes on the issue are also different. The joint declaration issued by the European Union and ASEAN reaffirms the crucial role of international law in dealing with controversial issues. But why hasn't the conference been taken seriously by the world's major powers? We can consider this in a number of ways. First of all, we can say that the talks lacked leadership.
The United States, a country with a pivotal position in the world, did not play a leading role in this summit. And several other big countries, perhaps considering their own interests, do not care about this. Second, instead of sending high-level personnel to the summit, China held a New Year's celebration in the Philippines. This means that China may not want to engage in too many talks, preferring instead to deal with the South China Sea issue through consultation and negotiation. However, the European Union still insists that it can intervene in the South China Sea. The European Union is a global institution that has always stood up to international law and to peace and stability in the region. In the joint declaration, the two countries made it clear that China and the Philippines will handle the dispute in accordance with international law. It should be noted that the handling of disputes in the South China Sea will not be so easy.
This is a major issue that concerns a large number of countries and is also an issue of sovereignty of all countries, and a reasonable solution must be sought through dialogue and consultation. In this regard, we should work together to properly handle the South China Sea issue in the spirit of fairness, justice and fairness. Peace and security in the South China Sea can only follow the path of international law. On the South China Sea issue, in addition to a joint declaration issued by the European Union and ASEAN, a number of other international institutions and countries have also expressed their views. For example, on many occasions, the United Nations has called for dialogue and consultation to resolve disputes. At the same time, the departments concerned have also provided their own opinions and plans on the handling of the South China Sea issue. The South China Sea issue is a very complex regional issue that can only be properly handled by the cooperation of all countries. The international community should uphold international law, strengthen dialogue and consultation, and maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea. Only in this way can permanent peace in the South China Sea be achieved.
The European summit between the Philippines and ASEAN did not focus on the dispute over islands in the South China Sea. The Philippines may not bring up the matter first, and other ASEAN members are unlikely to interfere in the matter. The European Union, on the other hand, can play a more important role in leading the dialogue at this summit. Why is Europe taking the South China Sea so seriously? Last year, the European Union released a version of its Indo-Pacific Strategy, which aims to strengthen its influence in the Asia-Pacific region. This decision is largely led by the United States. The Russia-Ukraine dispute has led to a shift from "strategic anxiety" to "strategic awakening" in Europe, and in the process, ideology has become a major yardstick for measuring its policy choices. Europe's emphasis on the South China Sea is also to demonstrate its status and role in the international geographical pattern. They do not want Europe to be influenced by the United States to pursue their own "strategic autonomy" in the Indo-Pacific region. However, the United States does not want Europe to participate in its "Indo-Pacific strategy" in the South China Sea, which is inconsistent with the strategic goals of the United States.
That's why both China and the United States are silent about the South China Sea. The situation in the South China Sea is complex, so the relevant parties must be cautious. The South China Sea is the focus of attention of the international community and one of the key areas for countries to compete for maritime sovereignty. Of these countries, China has the most rights to islands and islands in the South China Sea, with Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia all making the same claims. In order to protect their own interests, all countries are stepping up an arms race in the South China Sea, making the situation in the South China Sea even more severe. At the same time, the United States has also used maritime patrols and joint military exercises to defend its rights and interests in the region. In such a situation, no matter which country takes drastic actions, it is likely to cause contradictions and crises. On this basis, ASEAN has actively promoted the settlement of the South China Sea issue with the regional cooperation mechanism as the core. In order to maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea, ASEAN and China signed the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea in 2002.
However, the intricacies and conflicts of interests between countries make it difficult to deal with disputes in the South China Sea. At the summit meeting of the European Union ministers in ASEAN, the two sides will conduct some discussions on the South China Sea issue, but this meeting is unlikely to reach an agreement. The South China Sea issue involves many interests, so the two sides should handle it with a sober mind and a rational attitude and through dialogue and consultation. In addition to the South China Sea issue, the ASEAN summit will also discuss a series of regional and international themes such as climate change, counter-terrorism, and economic cooperation. These issues concern not only ASEAN, but also the interests of European countries, and all countries should therefore work together to find a way out. All in all, the South China Sea island dispute may not be an important topic at the summit meeting between the Philippines and ASEAN countries. Europe is interested in the South China Sea because it has put forward an "Indo-Pacific strategy" and wants to gain greater influence in the Asia-Pacific region. However, the United States does not want Europe to meddle in the South China Sea.
The settlement of disputes in the South China Sea should be carried out through dialogue and consultation, with the goal of ensuring regional peace and stability.
Authors affirm: This content is a report generated by artificial intelligence feedback.