China, India eye non-aggression pact with SE Asian nations

They will be the first foreign powers to adhere to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC) at the leaders meeting of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Indonesia's Bali resort next week.

"Right now, only China and India are sure to accede to the Treaty while Russia, which also wants to sign up, is awaiting approval from its parliament," ASEAN spokesman M.C. Abad told AFP.

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The United States, which is stamping its influence on the region through its fight against terrorism, is unlikely to follow suit as its activities may be constrained by the treaty, analysts say.

Sundram Pushpanathan, ASEAN's head of external relations, said that by signing up to the TAC, "China and India will come into the inner circle of ASEAN," grouping Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

"This reflects the high level of commitment by China and India to the peace and security oft the region and it will pave the way for greater engagements by them in regional political and security matters," he said.

One of the most important principles of TAC, adopted in 1976 by the core Southeast Asian countries worried then by the rise of communism, is the renunciation of the threat of use of force.

The other key principles are respect among member nations for their sovereignty and territorial integrity, non-interference in each other's affairs and peaceful settlement of disputes.

Under the TAC, a so-called High Council is in charge of resolving conflicts among signatories bound by a code of conduct in inter-state relations.

"The council, composed of representatives of all the contracting parties at the ministerial level, will take cognizance of disputes likely to disturb peace in the region," Abad said.

"It can also constitute itself as a process for mediation and recommend measures to the parties in dispute," he said.

But the council has not been convened since TAC came into force.

Indonesia, the current chairman of the ASEAN standing committee, the grouping's policy-making body, may propose to give the council more teeth as an efficient dispute-resolving mechanism.

China, which has overlapping claims over the Spratly islands in the South China Sea with some ASEAN states, particularly may want to test the effectiveness of the TAC in resolving disputes.

Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam, as well as China and Taiwan claim the Spratly Islands, a potentially oil-rich archipelago.

The ASEAN states last year signed a treaty with China aimed at preventing an escalation of tensions over the Spratlys.