BEIJING, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- At the East Asian leaders' meetings that ended Thursday, China and most of the participating countries focused on the "big picture" of their cooperation on both economic growth and political security, without being distracted by a notorious arbitration of the South China Sea issue.
Some overseas media outlets commented that China has "scored a diplomatic victory" as the arbitration ruling has not been mentioned in the statements issued by the Southeast Asian countries after this series of meetings.
Actually, such a "diplomatic victory" reflects the common choice made by China and most of the ASEAN members: to work with concerted efforts to remove disturbances, and seek common development, mutual benefits and win-win results.
While addressing the East Asian Summit on Thursday, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang described the East Asia region as a land "far from conflicts and a bonanza for trade and investment," adding that such a desirable situation is hard-earned and should be treasured by all countries.
At the summit, the Chinese premier also spelled out China's stance on the South China Sea issue, saying that China and the ASEAN countries have found a way that not only reflects the rules of international law but also lead to "effective" management of disputes.
He also said that China and the ASEAN nations have the full wisdom and ability to address the South China Sea issue.
Read the full story at Xinhua
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Story Quote: In their speeches delivered at the summit, leaders of the ASEAN countries acknowledged the efforts made by China and the ASEAN members in implementing the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) and promoting the discussion of the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC).
PacificSentinel: What no one has mentioned (or I haven't read it yet) is that China has dragged its feet on the "Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC)" for over a decade, it's only since the Philippines took them to the Hague that China has started to do something about it again in earnest, so YES the Hague tribunal's ruling has been a blessing for the area and any peace they may find as a result.