HANOI/JAKARTA, Nov 13 (Bernama): The negotiation for the adoption of a Code of Conduct (COC) for the South China Sea is progressing well, Asean and China said, with both sides reaffirming the future adoption of the COC would promote peace and stability in the region.
According to a joint statement, both sides said the situation in the South China Sea has changed tremendously since the signing of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties (DOC) in 2002.
The statement came as the two sides gathered on the occasions of the 25th Asean-China Summit and the 20th Anniversary of the DOC, in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
Asean and China also recognised the imperative of strengthened efforts and heightened goodwill towards the full and effective implementation of the DOC.
The DOC is a milestone document in Asean-China Dialogue Relations that embodies the collective commitment of the parties to promote peace, stability, mutual trust, and confidence in the region, in accordance with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS),” the statement read.
alaysia is one of the claimant states in the highly disputed water territory alongside Brunei, Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam and China.
The South China Sea is one of the busiest trade routes in the world and is home to a wealth of marine, mineral resources and holds great economic and geostrategic importance. - Bernama
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