KUALA LUMPUR (Bernama): China wants to deepen and pursue more practical cooperation with Asean members to strengthen regional stability in the South China Sea, said Chinese Ambassador to Malaysia Ouyang Yujing.
Ouyang said Beijing has been actively expanding collaboration with Asean countries in several sectors, including environmental protection, fisheries, marine scientific research, maritime capacity-building, and regional connectivity, all of which he described as essential to sustaining long-term peace and prosperity.
In his special address at the Maritime Institute of Malaysia (MIMA) South China Sea Conference (SCS) 2025 here Monday, Ouyang said China also proposes enhanced coast guard cooperation and joint maritime development, noting that such mechanisms would help raise the overall level of maritime collaboration in the region.
"China and Indonesia have reached important consensus on conducting joint development cooperation in the sea areas claimed by the two countries. China and Vietnam actively have cooperation in the non-sensitive areas at sea and strengthened cooperation in maritime search and rescue.
Ouyang said the first visit to China by the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) and its vessels in June this year has yielded good results.
"The second meeting of the bilateral dialogue on the management of maritime issues in the South China Sea between China and Malaysia is important. It will further explore practical cooperation and extend consensus on maritime cooperation,” he said.
He added that a dual-track communication approach and existing bilateral dialogue mechanisms, including the ongoing talks on South China Sea Code of Conduct (COC), can prevent misunderstandings and maintain peace and stability.
Ouyang calls for a full and effective implementation of the COC, actively promoting its consultation, and maintaining peace and stability in the region.
A series of major progress and achievements has been made in accelerating consultations on the COC and promoting practical maritime cooperation, he said. China has already held 24 senior officials' meetings and 49 joint working group meetings with the ASEAN countries to implement the COC.
The South China Sea is among the world’s busiest and most crucial maritime routes. An estimated US$3.37 trillion worth of trade passes through the waters annually on 500,000 merchant ships and over a million commercial flights. - Bernama
