Beijing (ANTARA) - The Chinese government supports the completion of\nthe Guidelines on the Code of Conduct (Code of Conduct or CoC) for the\nSouth China Sea with ASEAN countries by the end of this year but\nrequests that there be no interference from external parties in the\ntalks.<\/p>\n
\u201cChina is conducting close consultations with ASEAN countries\nregarding the Code of Conduct text. We hope that all parties can adhere\nto our common goals, focus on shared views, reject interference, and\nstrive to achieve the Code of Conduct as soon as possible,\u201d said\nSpokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs Guo Jiakun\nduring a press conference in Beijing on Monday.<\/p>\n
In the Joint Declaration of ASEAN Leaders on Maritime Cooperation\nsigned at the 48th ASEAN Summit in Cebu, Philippines, on Friday (8\/5),\nASEAN once again urged the swift completion of negotiations on the\nGuidelines on the Code of Conduct (CoC) in the South China Sea to manage\ndisputes and reduce tensions in the contested waters.<\/p>\n
The ASEAN leaders affirmed that regional maritime cooperation will be\nimplemented in accordance with the UN Charter, the 1982 United Nations\nConvention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and other international laws\nand norms.<\/p>\n
ASEAN also called for accelerating the completion of effective CoC\nnegotiations in the South China Sea, as agreed by ASEAN Foreign\nMinisters and China in 2023.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe formulation of the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (CoC)\nis an important step in implementing the Declaration on the Conduct of\nParties in the South China Sea (DoC), and also an important agreement\nbetween China and ASEAN countries,\u201d added Guo Jiakun.<\/p>\n
This, Guo Jiakun explained, will help the parties to better manage\ndifferences, promote cooperation, and maintain peace and stability in\nthe South China Sea.<\/p>\n
In the declaration agreed upon last week, ASEAN called for the \u201cfull\nand effective implementation\u201d of the Declaration on the Conduct of\nParties in the South China Sea (DoC), signed on 4 November 2002 by ASEAN\ncountries and China, to maintain peace and stability in the South China\nSea.<\/p>\n
At the press conference following the conclusion of the summit on\nFriday, Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.\u00a0expressed optimism\nthat a Code of Conduct (CoC) on the South China Sea would be agreed upon\nby the end of the year and acknowledged that the situation in the South\nChina Sea is becoming \u201cincreasingly difficult to understand.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSo, once again, that is one of our aspirations as the ASEAN Chair\nfor 2026, that by the end of the year, we really have a code of conduct.\nYou know, ASEAN member countries are all different, they have different\napproaches when it comes to the People\u2019s Republic of China, when it\ncomes to Beijing,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
China claims a number of coral islands in the South China Sea, such\nas the Spratlys (Nansha), Paracels (Xisha), Pratas (Dongsha), and\nMacclesfield Bank (Zhongsha), as part of its jurisdiction, but ASEAN\ncountries \u2013 Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia, Vietnam, and the Philippines \u2013\nalso claim those areas.<\/p>\n
To resolve the disputes in the South China Sea, in 2002, ASEAN and\nChina signed the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties (Declaration of\nConduct or DoC), which contains commitments to \u201cpromote conditions\nconducive to a peaceful and long-term solution to differences and\ndisputes among the relevant countries.\u201d<\/p>\n
However, agreement on a binding Code of Conduct (CoC) framework has\nyet to be found.<\/p>\n
As the party most frequently experiencing direct conflicts with the\nChinese Coast Guard in the South China Sea, the Philippines, which will\nserve as ASEAN Chair in 2026, has made accelerating the completion of\nthe South China Sea CoC a priority agenda item.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/china-hopes-asean-rejects-external-interference-in-south-china-sea-negotiations-1778507570", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }