MANILA: Australian foreign minister Julie Bishop on Thursday voiced her support for the completion of a “code of conduct” aimed at reducing tensions amid China’s aggressive claim to almost all of the South China Sea.
Bishop, who is on a visit to the Philippines, said she discussed the matter with her Filipino counterpart Albert del Rosario.
There have been heightened tensions between China and its neighbors — including the Philippines — because of disputes over maritime territory.
Bishop said Australia favored the push by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to craft a “code of conduct” to better manage the issues.
“In the case of the South China Sea, we support ASEAN objectives in concluding a Code of Conduct with China and we hope that there will be some early progress on that,” she said.
“We urge all sides not to escalate tensions,” she added.
ASEAN has been trying for more than a decade to secure agreement from China on a legally binding code of conduct aimed at reducing tensions and the risk of violence in the South China Sea.
Among ASEAN members are Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan, the Philippines and Vietnam, which along with China, have claims to parts or all of the South China Sea.
China claims almost all of the South China Sea, even up to the borders of its neighbors.
Bishop stressed that her country was not taking any side in the dispute, and urged that all issues should be resolved “peacefully.”
Bishop said the South China Sea was a key interest to Australia since 60 percent of its exports and 40 percent of its imports passed through the area.
The Philippines has been seeking more international support to challenge China’s claims to the South China Sea.
Del Rosario meanwhile said the Philippines had been forced to seek UN arbitration because it had “exhausted all (other) possibilities,” in arguing its case with China.
He also said that the Philippines and Australia would be boosting their defense cooperation especially after a “status of visiting forces agreement” between the two countries went into effect in 2012.
Australia already provides military training and education and conducts “table-top” exercises with the Philippines but the agreement opens the door to actual joint military exercises in Philippine territory.
He also thanked Australia for the extensive aid, including the dispatch of Australian troops, ships and aircraft, given to the Philippines after Super Typhoon Haiyan ravaged the central islands in November.
Australia endorses ‘code of conduct’ for South China Sea
Australia endorses ‘code of conduct’ for South China Sea
UK drops plans for mandatory digital ID for workers in latest U-turn, media reports
- The digital ID would be held on people’s mobile phones, the government said
- The plan drew criticism from political opponents and warning it could infringe on civil liberties
LONDON: Britain is set to drop plans to make it mandatory for workers to hold a digital identity document, The Times newspaper, the BBC and other media reported on Tuesday, potentially marking another policy U-turn for the Labour government.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced in September last year that his government would require every employee to hold a digital ID in an attempt to tackle illegal migration and reduce the threat from the populist Reform UK party.
The government said the digital ID would be held on people’s mobile phones and become a mandatory part of checks employers must make when hiring staff.
The plan drew criticism from political opponents, with some arguing it would not deter illegal migration and others warning it could infringe on civil liberties.
The Times said the government abandoned the plan amid concerns it could undermine public trust in the scheme, noting that when introduced in 2029, digital IDs would be optional rather than mandatory.
Other forms of documentation, such as an electronic visa or passport, would still be valid, The Times said.
“We are committed to mandatory digital right to work checks,” a government spokesperson said. “We have always been clear that details on the digital ID scheme will be set out following a full public consultation which will launch shortly.”
The spokesperson said current checks rely on a “hodgepodge” of paper-based systems, with no record of whether they were ever carried out, leaving the process open to fraud and abuse.
If plans for a mandatory digital ID are dropped, it would mark another policy climbdown for Starmer.
In December, the government scaled back a plan to raise more tax from farmers, months after it backed down on cuts to welfare spending and scaled back a proposal to reduce subsidies on energy bills for the elderly.
