They also reaffirmed the importance of maintaining peace, stability, security and freedom of navigation in and over-flight over the South China Sea. For former foreign affairs chief Albert del Rosario, the draft chairman’s statement was a big disappointment. He stressed that the position that China’s South China Sea build-up is a fait accompli should be rejected. China claims almost the entire South China Sea and West Philippine Sea where about $5 trillion worth of sea-borne goods pass every year. ASEAN references to the South China Sea issue typically do not name China, which has been expanding its seven manmade islands in the Spratlys, including those with hangars, runways, radars and surface-to-air missiles.

Source: Philippine Star April 26, 2017 16:41 UTC