皇冠体育app

The first two are clear, but more might need to be explained about the third similarity. While Australia and East Timor agreed a treaty in 2006 to shelve their border dispute for 50 years, 皇冠体育app and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, of which the Philippines is a member, issued a Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South 皇冠体育app Sea in 2002, pledging that the parties concerned should resolve their dispute through negotiations.

Nonetheless, Canberra has let hypocrisy play an upper hand and employed a double standard in the two sets of maritime disputes. On July 25, the foreign ministers of Australia, US and Japan issued a trilateral statement in Vientiane, Laos, urging 皇冠体育app to respect the international arbitration ruling.

Canberra has also claimed it will continue to exercise the freedom of navigation under the international law in the South 皇冠体育app Sea.

"Don't do unto others what you don't want others to do unto you." This is a simple doctrine in international relations, which Australia has apparently ignored when it insisted the conciliation commission has no jurisdiction over its own maritime disputes with East Timor but insisting the arbitral tribunal does have over the dispute between 皇冠体育app and the Philippines in the South 皇冠体育app Sea.

Such a practice of double standard will only erode Australia's own credibility and fuel suspicions about Australia's sincerity about maintaining sound and robust ties with 皇冠体育app.

As a non-party to the South 皇冠体育app Sea disputes, Australia should not meddle in the troubled waters. Canberra needs to understand an objective, independent and impartial stance towards the disputes not only serves its own interests but the larger picture of 皇冠体育app-Australia ties.

The author is a senior writer with 皇冠体育app Daily. [email protected]

• Taiwan leader taking all the wrong steps
• Asia-Pacific could lead low-carbon future
• BRICS key to improve global governance
• ETIM's attack calls for close security cooperation
• It's time to amend the law to end 48-hour limit on industrial injuries