Malaysia Splits With Asean Claimants on China Sea Threat

Malaysia differed with fellow

Southeast Asian claimants in the South China Sea on the threat

posed by China, dismissing concerns about patrols off its coast.

Malaysia is not worried about how often Chinese ships

patrol the areas it claims in the waters, Defense Minister

Hishammuddin Hussein said in an interview in Brunei yesterday.

Chinese Navy ships in March visited James Shoal off Malaysia,

near where Royal Dutch Shell Plc (RDSA) and Petroliam Nasional Bhd.

have oil and gas operations.

“Just because you have enemies, doesn’t mean your enemies

are my enemies,” Hishammuddin said on the sidelines of meetings

with counterparts from the Association of Southeast Asian

Nations as well as the U.S., China and Japan. The Chinese “can

patrol every day, but if their intention is not to go to war”

it is of less concern, he said. “I think we have enough level

of trust that we will not be moved by day-to-day politics or

emotions.”

Malaysia is one of six claimants to land features in the

South China Sea, an area where competition for gas and fish has

led to boats being rammed and survey cables cut. The Philippines

and Vietnam reject China’s map of the sea, first published in

the 1940s, as a basis for joint exploration.

Collaboration Option

Malaysia could consider collaborating on the development of

oil and gas resources with China in the area, Hishammuddin said.

“Provided our friends in Asean know, those who have an

interest in the region know, and if they want to object, I would

like to know why?” Hishammuddin said. “If they’re just

objecting for the sake of objecting, that doesn’t make sense.”

China National Offshore Oil Corp. estimates the South China

Sea may hold about five times more undiscovered natural gas than

the country’s current proved reserves, according to the U.S.

Energy Information Administration. In June, Malaysia Prime

Minister Najib Razak called for parties to jointly develop

resources to avoid conflict and prevent “extra-regional

states” from becoming involved.

Najib cited a joint development zone in waters claimed by

Thailand and Malaysia as a precedent that could be applied in

the South China Sea. China has agreed to talks on a code of

conduct for the area, with discussions to begin in September.

To contact the reporter on this story:

Sharon Chen in Singapore at

schen462@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story:

Rosalind Mathieson at

rmathieson3@bloomberg.net

Malaysia Splits With Asean Claimants on China Sea Threat