Malaysia takes on ASEAN mantle but tempers expectations on Myanmar, South China Sea

Southeast Asian foreign ministers hold a closed-doors retreat in Malaysia on Sunday, as the country hosts its first meeting as chair of the regional bloc ASEAN amid an intensifying civil war in Myanmar and confrontations in the South China Sea.

Malaysia takes its turn as rotating chair of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations as the bloc contends with Beijing's assertiveness in the South China Sea and a faltering ASEAN peace process for Myanmar, where the ruling military plans to hold an election this year.

Malaysia is committed to addressing regional issues, but expectations on Myanmar and the advancing of talks on an ASEAN-China code of conduct for the South China Sea should be measured, a top official said.

"To say that we will have a solution immediately is going to be very ambitious," Malaysian foreign ministry secretary general Amran Mohamed Zin told a media briefing ahead of the retreat on Langkawi island.

Myanmar has been in turmoil since early 2021 when its military overthrew an elected civilian government, triggering pro-democracy protests that morphed into a widening armed rebellion that has taken over swathes of the country.

Despite being battered on multiple frontlines, its economy in tatters and dozens of political parties banned, the junta is pushing to hold an election this year, which critics have widely derided as a sham to keep the military in power through proxies.

ASEAN has so far failed to implement a "Five-Point Consensus" peace plan unveiled months after the coup, which prescribes dialogue and an end to hostilities, and it has yet to discuss a common position on the election.

"Everybody wants to help Myanmar ... engagements have happened and will continue under Malaysia's chairmanship," Amran said.

'TENTATIVE PROGRESS'

Each ASEAN member state has a role to play in ensuring the South China Sea is a "sea of peace and trade", Amran said, adding tentative progress has been made towards creating a code of conduct with China, which claims sovereignty over most of the strategic waterway.

The South China Sea, a conduit for about $3 trillion of annual ship-borne trade, has been the site of heated standoffs in the past two years between ASEAN member the Philippines and China, a major source of the region's trade and investment.

Vietnam and Malaysia have also made protests over the conduct of Chinese vessels in their exclusive economic zones, which Beijing says are operating lawfully in its territory.

The Philippine foreign minister on Saturday told Reuters it was time to start negotiating thorny "milestone issues" for the protracted code, including its scope and whether it can be legally binding.

Adib Zalkapli, managing director at geopolitical research firm Viewfinder Global Affairs, said there was political will in Malaysia to push for a political resolution for Myanmar, but concrete progress on rules for the South China Sea was unlikely under Malaysia's chairmanship.

"It remains an issue that the claimant states have to manage and contain, to ensure it does not unnecessarily escalate," Abib said.