Hor Namhong Rejects Blame For Failed Talks
Foreign Minister Hor Namhong on Friday put the blame for last week’s failure among Asean countries to release a joint communiqué on territorial disputes in the South China Sea firmly back on Vietnam and the Philippines. More than a week since discussions related to the territorial dispute between Asean’s members and China led to negotiations breaking down completely in Phnom Penh, Mr. Namhong also belatedly released a statement on the matter to which he said all states had agreed. However, noticeably missing from the statement was any reference to a recent escalation with China in the dispute around the Scarborough Shoal, which is contested by the Philippines, and the Exclusive Economic Zone and the continental shelf, where Vietnam has laid its claims. …
