Asean, Beijing to discuss code for South China sea
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Asean and China yesterday agreed to hold consultations on a "code of conduct" for the South China Sea at the senior official level in order to promote good governance for peace, stability and cooperation in the disputed waters.
“The Asean countries and China have the resolve and ability to make the South China Sea an area of peace, friendship and cooperation,” said a rare joint press statement issued after the annual Asean-China ministerial meeting in Brunei yesterday.
Both sides would not allow the maritime territorial dispute to jeopardise overall relations.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in his first formal meeting with his Asean counterparts also agreed to set up an Eminent Persons and Experts Group and other necessary mechanisms to support the formal discussions.
The South China Sea tug of war was the most closely watched issue at the Asean ministerial meeting this year. It caused a diplomatic disaster last year when Asean did not release the annual joint communique after it failed to reach a consensus on how to address the issue.
This year, China and other members notably the Philippines and Vietnam relaxed their stances to maintain good relations and the credibility of the regional grouping, said officials keen on the matter.
The ministers of both sides agreed that peace and stability in the South China Sea were of utter importance for the region.
The Asean Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) was issued in 2002 but the document was not enough to solve the disputes between China and some Asean members.
Asean has long wanted a binding code of conduct. The official consultations on the code of conduct as agreed upon by the ministers yesterday would take place within the framework of the implementation of the DOC, according to the press statement.
Foreign Minister Surapong Towichukchaikul, who is the current coordinator of Asean-China cooperation, told a press briefing after the meeting that the process to come up with a code of conduct for the South China Sea would need time, patience, comprehension and trust.
“But I’m confident that the process to draft the code of conduct will not take too long a time,” he said.
While the consultation for the code of conduct is taking place, all parties are required to fully implement the DOC to guarantee peace and stability in the high seas, he said.
“With good relations and the mutual benefit of cooperation, I believe that the code of conduct will finally succeed,” he said.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said the formulation of the code of conduct would take place under the framework of the DOC implementation on a step by step and consensus basis.
China is in territorial conflict over the South China Sea with only some Asean countries, not all.
“I believe the measures taken by individual claimants would not be accepted,” he said. China would cooperate with Asean to maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea, he said.
The issue should not overshadow relations with Asean as a whole. The joint statement also reflected many other aspects of the Sino-Asean relations, he said.
The joint statement also covered trade facilitation, industrial cooperation, negotiations for the regional comprehensive economic partnership, infrastructure connectivity and financial platform for Asia’s infrastructure development.
