Can Malaysia lead Asean to a South China Sea breakthrough?

Free Malaysia Today

There is no state that can realistically claim all the features in the disputed region, and claimants must face that reality to resolve the dispute.   Read More:  https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/opinion/2025/02/14/can-malaysia-lead-asean-to-a-south-china-sea-breakthrough/   Laporan Lanjut:  https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/bahasa/pandangan/2025/02/14/mampukah-malaysia-pimpin-asean-tembusi-laut-china-selatan/   Free Malaysia Today is an independent, bi-lingual news portal with a focus on Malaysian current affairs.    Subscribe to our channel - http://bit.ly/2Qo08ry   ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  Check us out at https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com  Follow FMT on Facebook: https://bit.ly/49JJoo5  Follow FMT on Dailymotion: https://bit.ly/2WGITHM  Follow FMT on X: https://bit.ly/48zARSW  Follow FMT on Instagram: https://bit.ly/48Cq76h  Follow FMT on TikTok : https://bit.ly/3uKuQFp  Follow FMT Berita on TikTok: https://bit.ly/48vpnQG  Follow FMT Telegram - https://bit.ly/42VyzMX  Follow FMT LinkedIn - https://bit.ly/42YytEb  Follow FMT Lifestyle on Instagram: https://bit.ly/42WrsUj  Follow FMT on WhatsApp: https://bit.ly/49GMbxW  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  Download FMT News App:  Google Play – http://bit.ly/2YSuV46  App Store – https://apple.co/2HNH7gZ  Huawei AppGallery - https://bit.ly/2D2OpNP   #FMTNews #Asean #SouthChinaSea #Dispute

Transcript

00:00The South China Sea is one of the most contested regions in the world, with multiple countries

00:06– Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, and China – all staking claims over different

00:13islands and maritime zones.

00:15While China's sweeping territorial assertions dominate the dispute, ASEAN has been pushing

00:20for a long-overdue code of conduct to manage tensions.

00:24The negotiations have stalled for years, largely because the issue is too complex.

00:30Six claimants, overlapping claims, and strategic military interests make any resolution difficult.

00:37The U.S. has entered the fray, conducting Freedom of Navigation operations to challenge

00:42China's dominance, further complicating the regional dynamic.

00:45Malaysia, however, has a unique opportunity to lead ASEAN toward a breakthrough, leveraging

00:51its strong relationship with China to bring key players to the negotiating table.

00:56Confidence-building measures, like joint development of contested areas and a renewed

01:00push for the COC, could help ease tensions while negotiations continue.

01:06A more ambitious solution would be to disaggregate claims, with countries keeping what they currently

01:11occupy while dropping excessive claims.

01:14But for that to happen, claimants must move past the zero-sum mindset that has blocked

01:19progress for decades.

01:21If Malaysia can steer ASEAN toward a unified stance, it could finally shift the balance,

01:26strengthening ASEAN's voice in regional security and just maybe break the deadlock

01:31in the South China Sea.

01:33Natasha Bust, FMT News.

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