AMBASSADOR STANLEY LOH'S REPLY TO GLOBAL TIMES EDITOR-IN-CHIEF HU XIJIN'S OPEN LETTER DATED 27 SEPTEMBER 2016 ON GLOBAL TIMES ONLINE

Mr Hu Xijin

Editor-in-Chief

Global Times

Dear [Editor-in-Chief Hu,]

          I refer to your response to my letter of 26 Sep 2016. 

          The crux of the matter is that Global Times’ report dated 21 Sep 2016 did not accurately reflect the proceedings at the recent NAM Summit. Global Times did not attend the meetings and had to rely on information from unnamed sources. In contrast, Singapore is a member of NAM and had participated in all the proceedings at the Summit. Consequently, I have related the facts and this account can be verified by the public record of the meeting.  

            By the way, you misread my letter.  The NAM Chair did not reject Singapore’s request. In fact, the NAM Chair improperly rejected ASEAN’s collective request to update the Southeast Asia paragraphs to reflect the consensus of all ten ASEAN Member States.  That is why Laos as Chair of ASEAN wrote to the Venezuelan Foreign Minister to put on record ASEAN’s reservation to a paragraph in the Southeast Asia section of the NAM Final Document.  You failed to mention this ASEAN Chair letter which I had enclosed in my earlier letter to you.  I have appended it again for your attention.

            The other points you had raised are not relevant to the issue of the veracity of Global Times’ report.  Singapore has consistently adopted a clear and principled position.  Our leaders have already addressed those issues on numerous previous occasions at meetings with your leaders. Our positions are not identical, but neither are we opposed. So we need to understand each other’s position, accept differences, and work towards enlarging shared interests with one another.

          Once again, I request that Global Times publish my letter of 26 Sep 2016, including its Annex, in full, in the print version where your report was first published. This is so that your readers can be fully and accurately informed in the interest of honesty, professionalism, objectivity and transparency.

STANLEY LOH (罗家良)

Singapore’s Ambassador

to the People’s Republic of China

2016年9月28日

《环球时报》总编辑

胡锡进先生

尊敬的胡主编：

          您于2016年9月26日的回函收悉。

          此事件的关键在于《环球时报》于2016年9月21日刊登的报道并没准确地报道近日不结盟运动峰会的会议过程。《环球时报》并没有参加相关会议，其信息仅依赖于匿名的消息来源。相反的，新加坡是不结盟运动的成员国，全程参与了峰会的讨论。因此，我阐述的事实，可参照公开记录验证。

        您还误解了我之前的回复。不结盟运动峰会主席国并没有拒绝新加坡的要求。事实上，不结盟运动峰会主席国不合规矩地拒绝了东盟要求以东盟共识更新有关东南亚地区段落的内容。鉴于此，老挝以东盟主席国的身份向委内瑞拉外交部长致函，对于不结盟运动最终文件中涉及东南亚的部分表示保留意见并要求记录在案。对于我之前回复中所附上的东盟主席国的信函，您一字未提。在此，我重新附上此信，以便您关注。

        您信中所提到的其他内容对于《环球时报》报道的真伪性毫无关联。 新加坡一贯坚持明确和原则性的立场。我国领导已经在多个场合向贵国领导阐明立场。新中的立场虽然不完全一致，但也不是对立的。因此，我们必须互相了解彼此的立场，求同存异，并且朝双方扩大共同利益的方向前进。 

          我再次要求《环球时报》将我于2016年9月26日的信函，包括其附录部分，全文刊登在最初刊登其报道的《环球时报》印刷版。这是为了让读者能够全面、准确地了解事实真相，以确保诚信、专业、客观和公正。

新加坡驻华大使

罗家良

Lao People’s Democratic Republic

Peace Independence Democracy Unity Prosperity

18 September 2016

Isla Margarita, Venezuela

H.E. Delcy Rodriguez Gomez

Minister of Foreign Affairs

of the People’s Power for Foreign Affairs

of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela

Excellency,

I would like to extend my friendly greeting to Your Excellency, and on behalf of 10 ASEAN member States attending the XVII NAM Ministerial Meeting, namely Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippine, Singapore, Thailand and Viet Nam, have the honour to reiterate that the question of South China Sea is a matter of vital interest for peace stability, security and cooperation in South East Asia.  From the very beginning, ASEAN with a high respect to Venezuela Chair of XVII NAM Summit and with the strong aspiration to contribute to the success of this XVII NAM Summit, has been requesting extensive discussion and consultation with interested NAM members to reach an agreement on the issue.

Unfortunately our cooperative spirit and our constructive efforts have not been reciprocated. ASEAN, with a very deep regret and with the high respect to the President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela as the Chair of the XVII NAM Summit and to all distinguished NAM members, has to reiterate that ASEAN is not in a position to accept the paragraph relating to the South China Sea numbered 449 as reflected in the draft NAM Final Outcome Document received by member countries in the morning of 18 September 2016, as it does not reflect the current developments in the region. We would like to request the NAM Chair to put on record our reservation and incorporate in the NAM Final Outcome Document our reservation in the form of an Annex as follows:

“The Heads of State or Government reiterated the call to solve all sovereignty and territorial disputes in the South China Sea by peaceful means, without resorting to force and/or the threat to use force, in accordance with the universally recognized principles of international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and the Charter of the United Nations. In this context, they urged all parties to ensure the full and effective implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea in its entiretyto build, maintain and enhance mutual trust and confidence, to exercise self-restraint in the conduct of activities, and to work expeditiously for the early adoption of an effective Code of Conduct, which would help to promote international peace and stability in the region, with a view to creating a positive climate for the eventual resolution of all contentious issues, as mentioned in paragraph 2 of the Joint Commmunique of the 49^th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Vientiane, Laos dated 24 July 2016. They expressed their hope that all parties concerned would refrain from any actions that may undermine peace, stability, trust and confidence in the region. The Heads of State or Government shared serious concerns over recent and ongoing developments in the South China Sea and took note of the concerns expressed by some ministers/leaders on the land reclamations and escalation of activities in the area, including the increased presence of military assets and the possibility of further militarization of outposts in the South China Sea, which have eroded trust and confidence, increased tensions and may undermine peace, security and stability in the region. They emphasized the importance of non-militarisation and self-restraint in the conduct of all activities, including land reclamation that could further complicate the situation and escalate tensions in the South China Sea. They reaffirmed the importance of and their shared commitment to maintaining peace, security, stability, the freedom of navigation in and over-flight above the South China Sea, as provided for by the universally recognized principles of international law. To this end, they welcomed the adoption of the Guidelines for the Implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea in July 2011 in Bali and the Joint Statement of the 15^th ASEAN-China Summit on 10^th Anniversary of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea in November 2012 in Phnom Penh. The Heads of State or Government also welcomed the Joint Statement by the Foreign Ministers of ASEAN Member States and China on the Full and Effective Implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea on 25 July 2016 in Vientiane. They further welcomed the positive contribution of the consultations at ASEAN-China dialogues, and the regular exchange of views at relevant ASEAN-led fora, and encouraged their continuance. The Heads of State or Government welcomed the progress made on some of the Early Harvest Measures, which includes adopting a 24-hour MFA-to-MFA hotline for maritime emergencies. They noted the ASEAN-China 25^th Anniversary Commemorative Summit on 7 September 2016 in Vientiane, the 17^th Joint Working Group on the implementation of the DOC on 8 June 2016 and the 12^th Senior Official’s Meeting on the implementation of the DOC on 9 June2016 in Ha Long Bay, Viet Nam.”

Therefore, ASEAN expresses its reservation on paragraph 449 of the XVII NAM Final Outcome Document, and with your permission, kindly requests that its reservation and this letter be put on record and included as annex of the Final Outcome Document.

Please accept, Excellency, the assurances of my highest consideration.

Kham-Inh Khitchadeth

Director General

SOM and Ministerial Leader of the Lao delegation