Asean states united in seeking peace in South China Sea: Vivian

Foreign Minister in the Philippines to commemorate 55 years of diplomatic ties

- Mara Cepeda

Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan said Singapore hopes to see claimants in the South China Sea settle the dispute peacefully, adding that Asean nations may differ in their approach to the issue but remain united in seeking peace in the region.

He was speaking at a joint press briefing with his Filipino counterpart Enrique Manalo during a fourday visit to the Philippines that started on April 15, kicking off the commemoration of 55 years of diplomatic ties in 2024. Singapore and the Philippines are founding members of Asean.

Asked by a reporter about the need for a united Asean voice on the South China Sea issue, Dr Balakrishnan said member states seek peace and stability in one of the world's busiest waterways.

While not all Asean countries are claimants in the South China Sea, it does not mean Asean as a whole does not have a stake in what happens in the dispute, he said.

"Asean is united in the sense that no single Asean country wants to become a proxy, or a vassal state of any power. So, you need to be able to deal with this variety, internally, as well as the diversity of our approaches externally, but still recognise that we want to maintain unity, cohesion and centrality of Asean," he said.