NEWS - China offers to help draft S

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Subject: NEWS - China offers to help draft Spratly conduct code

China offers to help draft Spratly conduct code

  
KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 23 (Reuters) - China said on Tuesday it was willing to
help Southeast Asian nations formulate a proposed regional code of
conduct to resolve conflicting claims over the Spratly islands. 

But Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhu Bangzao said there should be no haste
in drafting the document and that its formulation should exclude Japan
and South Korea. 

Philippine Foreign Secretary Domingo Siazon said on Saturday a proposed
code of conduct on the South China Sea isles due to be discussed at an
informal summit of Southeast Asian nations this week aimed to prevent
war over the islands. 

He said international arbitration could provide a final solution to the
various claims to islands including the potentially oil-rich Spratlys. 

The code would call for the peaceful settlement of disputes and bar
claimants now occupying parts of the contested areas from expanding
their presence or building new structures, he said. 

``China understands the hope of ASEAN countries to formulate a code of
conduct in the South China Seas area,'' Zhu told a news conference in
Malaysia's capital. ``We have expressed our willingness to work together
to formulate the code of conduct.'' 

Zhu and the Foreign Ministry spokesman were in Kuala Lumpur for a
bilateral visit. 

``We believe that this document should be formulated in a gradual manner
and in all seriousness and prudence. There should be no haste in the
formulation of such a document,'' Zhu said through an interpreter. 

The Spratlys are a cluster of isles, reefs and rocky outcrops claimed
wholly or in part by China, Taiwan, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia
and Brunei. 

The leaders of the 10-member Association of South East Asian Nations
(ASEAN) are to discuss security issues and economic and financial
cooperation at the informal summit in Manila. 

They will also meet China, Japan and South Korea in ``10 plus three''
meetings. 

ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the
Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. 

Zhu said talks on the document should exclude Japan and South Korea as
China did not want the matter to be ``internationalised.'' 

``I don't think the code of conduct should be discussed in the framework
of 10 plus three. 

``I think this code of conduct has something to do with 10 plus one,
because we have always believed the issue of the South China Seas has
always been a matter between China and the relevant countries and it
should not be internationalised,'' he said. 

05:09 11-23-99