Leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations expressed concerns over the escalation of tension in the South China Sea, but made no mention of the landmark arbitral ruling that the Philippines won against Beijing, a draft copy of the chairman’s statement showed. The draft chairman’s statement, excerpts of which were obtained by the Manila Standard, reiterated the importance of a peaceful settlement of disputes over the contested waters in the South China Sea. “We reaffirmed the importance of enhancing mutual trust and confidence, exercising self-restraint in the conduct of activities, avoiding actions that may further complicate the situation, and pursuing peaceful resolution of disputes, including through full respect for legal and diplomatic processes, without resorting to the threat or use of force, in accordance with the universally recognized principles of international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea [UNCLOS],” it added.

Bencito, J. P., Zurbano, J., & Barcelo, Vito. (2017, April 27). Asean heads fret over sea conflicts. Manila Standard, pp. A1, A2.