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Ambassador Stanley Loh's reply to Global Times Editor-in-Chief Hu Xijin's open letter dated 27 September 2016 on Global Times/罗家良大使回应《环球时报》总编辑胡锡进先生的信函
28 September 2016
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28 Sep 2016
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
………000…….
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 49th 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 15th ASEAN-China Summit on 10th 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 25th Anniversary Commemorative Summit on 7 September 2016 in Vientiane, the 17th Joint Working Group on the implementation of the DOC on 8 June 2016 and the 12th 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
老挝人民民主共和国
和平 独立 民主 团结 繁荣
………000…….
2016年9月18日
委内瑞拉玛格丽塔岛
委内瑞拉玻利瓦尔共和国
人民政权外交部
外交部长德尔希·罗德里格斯·戈麦斯阁下
阁下：
我向阁下致以友好的问候，并代表参加第17届不结盟运动部长级会议的十个东盟国家，即文莱达鲁萨兰国、柬埔寨、印度尼西亚、老挝、马来西亚、缅甸、菲律宾、新加坡、泰国和越南，谨重申：南海问题对于东南亚地区的和平、稳定、安全和合作是至关重要的。最初，秉承着对第17届不结盟运动峰会主席国委内瑞拉的崇高敬意，以及希望为第17届不结盟运动峰会的成功做出贡献的强烈愿望，东盟一直要求与相关的不结盟运动成员国进行广泛的讨论和磋商，以便在此问题上达成协议。
然而不幸的是，我们的合作精神和建设性的努力并没有得到相应的回报。东盟怀着深深的遗憾，以及对于担任第17届不结盟运动峰会主席的委内瑞拉玻利瓦尔共和国总统和所有不结盟运动成员国的崇高敬意，必须重申：东盟无法接受各成员国在2016年9月18日早晨收到的不结盟运动最终成果文件草案中编号为449涉及南海的段落，因为该段落没有如实反映该地区的发展现状。我们想请求不结盟运动主席国把我们的保留意见记录在案，并且把我们以下的保留意见以附件的形式附录在不结盟运动的最终成果文件之中：
“国家元首或政府首脑重申，呼吁按照国际法公认的原则（包括《1982年联合国海洋法公约》和《联合国宪章》），通过和平方式解决在南海的所有主权和领土争端，而不诉诸武力和/或武力的威胁。在这一背景下，他们敦促所有各方全面有效地落实《南海各方行为宣言》，维护和增进相互信任和信心，在其行动中保持自我克制，并迅速开展工作，争取早日通过有效的行为准则，以助于促进该地区的国际和平与稳定，以期为所有争议问题的最终解决创造积极环境，正如2016年7月24日老挝万象第49届东盟外长会议联合公报第2段所述。他们表示，希望所有有关各方都能够保持克制，不采取可能破坏地区和平、稳定、信任、信心的行动。国家元首或政府首脑都对南海近期以及当前的发展态势表示严重关切，也关注了一些部长、领导人对该地区内填海造陆和活动升级的关切，包括军事设备的增多和对南海前哨的进一步军事化的可能性。这些活动已经削弱了互信和信心，加剧了紧张局势，并可能破坏地区和平、安全和稳定。他们强调所有活动中非军事化和自我克制的重要性，包括可能使南海局势更加复杂、和让紧张局势升级的填海造陆活动。他们重申了共同维护南海和平、安全、稳定及国际法中公认在南海自由飞行和航行的权利的决心和重要性。为此，他们欢迎各方在2011年7月在巴厘岛落实《南海各方行为宣言》后续行动指针达成的共识，以及于2012年11月《南海各方行为宣言》签署10周年之际在金边召开的第15届东盟-中国峰会发表的共同声明。各国家元首或政府首脑也欢迎于2016年7月25日，中国和东盟国家外交部长发表关于全面有效落实《南海各方行为宣言》的联合声明。他们也肯定了东盟—中国对话会通过协商所取得的积极成效，欢迎以东盟主导的论坛为平台定期交流意见，并鼓励继续开展这些活动。各国元首或政府首脑欢迎“早期收获”成果，包括外交部门间应对海上紧急事态热线。他们积极评价了2016年9月7日在万象举行的东盟—中国建立对话关系25周年纪念峰会以及2016年6月8日在越南下龙湾举行的落实《南海各方行为宣言》第17次联合工作组会议及2016年6月9日第12次高官会。”
有鉴于此，东盟对第17届不结盟运动峰会最终文件中第449段落持集体保留意见。特此请求将东盟保留意见及此信函记录在案，并作为“最终成果文件”附录。
顺致最崇高的敬意。
高官会和部长级会议
老挝代表团
司长
Kham-Inh Khitchadeth