UPHOLDING FREEDOM OF NAVIGATION

Gaps in a coordinated response to the conflict were seen as recently as two weeks ago, when Indonesia’s Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa floated the idea of imposing a levy on ships passing through the Malacca Strait.

Purbaya said this was part of a push to maximise the country’s strategic position along global trade and energy routes, and was inspired by Iran’s plan to charge ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz.

In the wake of Purbaya’s proposal – which he later said he was not serious about – Singapore’s and Indonesia’s foreign ministers stressed the importance of freedom of passage in the crucial strait.

The Malacca Strait is a major shipping lane for global trade and energy. It is primarily bordered by Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore, and connects the Indian and Pacific Oceans.

According to the draft declaration seen by AP, ASEAN leaders will emphasise the “importance of upholding international law and ensuring that regional cooperation remains anchored in dialogue, trust and respect for sovereignty”.

Southeast Asia will “maintain open, transparent and predictable markets as well as secure and open sea lanes, and ensure freedom of navigation, the safe, unimpeded and continuous transit passage of vessels and aircraft in straits used for international navigation”, the statement said.

This will “preserve the unimpeded flow of essential goods, including food, energy and key inputs, in accordance with international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea”, it added.