Cambodian PM sees 'collusion'

Any ASEAN statement supporting ruling in arbitration would be opposed, he says

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen has warned that his party sees the upcoming ruling in arbitration concerning the South China Sea as "the worst political collusion in the framework of international politics".

The top Cambodian leader spoke out as more than 60 countries or organizations, according to China Daily's count, have echoed China's commitment to direct negotiations for settling disputes rather than using arbitration.

Countries voicing support include Russia and South Africa, and regional organizations include the Arab League and Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

Hun Sen, also president of the ruling Cambodian People's Party, said in Phnom Penh at an event marking the 65th anniversary of the party's founding that the CPP "does not support, and more so is against, any declaration by ASEAN" to support the ruling. Cambodia is one of 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

The Arbitral Tribunal appointed by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague is expected to rule soon.

China has refused to be part of the case.

Some countries outside the region have pressured ASEAN members ahead of the ruling, and the result could "lead to division among ASEAN members themselves and between ASEAN and China", Hun Sen said.

Liu Huawen, a researcher on international law studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said that since the Philippines sought unilateral arbitration and "abused" the legal proceedings, similar "malicious arbitrations" could be raised in the future to target other countries.

"If the Arbitral Tribunal comes to a ruling that is not in accordance with the facts, such law-breaking logic could be abused in the future for other territorial or maritime disputes among other countries," Liu said.

Dogu Perincek, chairman of Turkey's Patriotic Party, said earlier this month that "it seems that the arbitration from an international tribunal will be used for military purposes".

Perincek described the arbitration by the tribunal as "an obvious intervention into the regional countries' sovereignty", saying China as an independent and sovereign country "has no obligation to obey the decision of the international tribunal".

Zhu Feng, professor and executive director of the China Center for Collaborative Studies of the South China Sea at Nanjing University, said, "Behind the case are the motives and tricks of Manila and manipulation by some major countries. These have made the arbitration a wild brawl by the US and its allies against China."

zhangyunbi@chinadaily.com.cn