Cambodia says urged ASEAN to avoid words that would 'escalate tension'

[geovalin]

Cambodia advised a grouping of South East Asian nations to avoid using words that "would escalate tension between China and the Philippines" in a weekend statement, the country's foreign ministry said on Wednesday. Cambodia's support for China's position on an international court ruling denying the Asian giant's claims in the South China Sea handed Beijing a diplomatic victory when the grouping's ministers met on Sunday.

The bloc, which follows an overriding principle of making decisions by consensus, omitted reference to the ruling after its first meeting following the decision by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague in favor of the Philippines. Phnom Penh advised ministers of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) against the use of words that "would escalate tension between China and the Philippines," Foreign Ministry spokesman Chum Sounry told reporters on Wednesday.

"The dispute in the South China Sea is between the Philippines and China, not ASEAN and China," he said. "So, this shouldn't drag ASEAN countries into the dispute, and it shouldn't drag Cambodia to get involved," he added, describing the Cambodian position at the meeting.

read more http://www.reuters.com/article/us-cambodia-asean-idUSKCN1071PD

[Srikcir]

Better to use words like Chinese accomodation or appeasement.

That is if a country intends to get and keep chinese billion dollar grants for their loyalty as Cambodia has recently.