By By K. Yhome

July 28, 2016

"Meeting for the first time since the Permanent Court of Arbitration ruling on the South China Sea, the foreign ministers of the 10-member ASEAN adopted a joint communiqué on July 25. Despite countries like the Philippines and Vietnam being members of the grouping, the communique had no mention of the verdict. This has once again raised the question of the utility of consensus diplomacy often referred to as the 'ASEAN way' - one of the grouping’s guiding principles since its formation.

Ever since The Hague-based, UN-backed tribunal's July 12 verdict invalidating China's claims in the South China Sea, much of the focus has been on the reactions of China and other major powers, including the United States, India and Japan. It is only now that ASEAN’s reaction or the lack of it on the verdict is getting some attention in the context of the 49th ASEAN foreign ministers' meeting (AMM) that was held in the Laotian capital of Vientiane on July 24 and 25."

Read more:
http://www.eurasiareview.com/28072016-the-asean-way-or-the-chinese-way-analysis/

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