ASEAN-China agree to negotiate code of conduct in the East Sea

According to Beijing Radio, at the ninth Senior Officials' Meeting between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on the implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), the parties agreed to continue to comprehensively and effectively implement this DOC, in accordance with common interests and beneficial to promoting the healthy development of the China-ASEAN strategic partnership.

Images captured by a US spy plane show China brazenly building illegally at Cross Reef. (Source: BI)

During the one-day conference held on July 29 in Tianjin (China), the parties fully affirmed the positive progress made in implementing the DOC since the beginning of 2015, and agreed to continue to effectively and comprehensively implement the DOC.

Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin told reporters after the conference: “The conference approved the work program to implement the DOC for the 2015-2016 period, reviewed and adopted the second common understanding document to negotiate the Code of Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (COC).

Regarding the COC negotiations, the parties decided to move to the "negotiation phase of important and complex issues" to find common elements for the draft COC framework.

The conference also discussed measures to prevent and control risks at sea, research and discuss rules for unexpected clashes at sea between China and ASEAN countries, and establish a hotline for maritime contact between the militaries of the countries.

Mr. Liu Zhenmin affirmed that resolving the East Sea issue requires long-term preparedness. The response is aimed at controlling disagreements, maintaining peace and freedom of navigation. China hopes to study and discuss with ASEAN countries all measures to resolve the East Sea issue within the China-ASEAN framework, especially within the DOC framework.

According to Vietnam+