PHNOM PENH, July 12 (Xinhua) -- The unilateral arbitration on the South China Sea issue by the so-called South China Sea Arbitration Tribunal eight years ago has given no solution to the dispute, but "created more distrusts between China and the Philippines," said a Cambodian expert.
Seun Sam, a policy analyst at the Royal Academy of Cambodia, told Xinhua in a recent interview that the so-called South China Sea arbitration, unilaterally initiated by the Philippines, are "not effective at all" in resolving the South China Sea issue between China and the Philippines.
From the standpoint of historical facts, international law and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, "bilateral negotiations will, instead, be the most effective way to solve the issue" to safeguard peace and stability in the South China Sea, Sam told Xinhua.
"Countries directly concerned should hold friendly discussions and never allow extraterritorial countries to interfere in their dialogues and communications," he said.
He added that outsiders, or countries not directly involved in the issue, should stop either hyping up or interfering because their interference is "helpless, but harmful."
"External countries such as the United States and Japan should not continue to stir up problems in the South China Sea under the pretext of freedom of navigation," Sam said. "Their interference has not only fueled tensions in the South China Sea, but also affected joint efforts made by China and the ASEAN in addressing the issue."
He said a solution through peaceful negotiations by countries directly concerned is the most important thing to ensure regional peace and stability, and to maintain close ties and cooperation between China and ASEAN.
"The outsiders should not try to douse gasoline on fire," he said.
At the 26th ASEAN-China Summit in September 2023, China and ASEAN adopted the Guidelines for Accelerating the Early Conclusion of an Effective and Substantive Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea. These guidelines set out a road map for the COC negotiations, including a timeline for concluding the agreement and a list of key issues to be addressed.
"The swift conclusion of an effective and substantive COC will significantly contribute to strategic trust building, peace, security, stability and sustainable development in the region," Sam said. ■