ASEAN adviser: Only trouble from award

"I felt worried about the outcome of the South China Sea arbitration award, as it solves nothing but causes trouble for many countries," Lee Chian Siong, senior adviser to the chairman of the China-ASEAN Business Association, told Xinhua News Agency on July 13.

Lee says he was "shocked" by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague's ruling on July 12.

The tribunal concluded all of the "features" in the South China Sea, including Taiping Island, are legally "rocks". Lee believes this is not sound.

When the Chinese government recovered Taiping Island after World War II, it found six freshwater wells and lush plants.

Lee says the ruling may increase anxiety about what happens next, although he adds he is optimistic about the possibility of China and the Philippines settling their disputes through negotiation.

"Manila is aware the ruling is in favor of the Philippines, and the new government has behaved prudently. The Chinese government has also done the same, acting rationally," Lee says.

The white paper released by the State Council Information Office on July 13 "expounded China's position adequately and systematically", he says. "China's reaction is not sentimental or fierce, as some media predicted."

When asked about the effect of The Hague's ruling on relations between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Lee says the collaboration will not be disturbed by the disputes in South China Sea as the scope of cooperation is wide.

"In fields such as trade, infrastructure and programs aimed to improve interconnectivity, China-ASEAN cooperation enjoys great potential," Lee adds.

(China Daily European Weekly 07/15/2016 page9)