ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn said the bloc aims to conclude negotiations by 2026, as China expressed full confidence in the prospect of completing the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC).
 |
| Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn (right) speaks at the ASEAN Secretary-General's Perspectives on ASEAN Vision 2045 forum on March 8 in Cambodia. (Source: VNA) |
Speaking at the forum "ASEAN Secretary-General's Viewpoint on ASEAN Vision 2045" organized by the Cambodian Journalists Club (CCJ) at the Sunway Hotel in Phnom Penh last weekend, the ASEAN Secretary-General noted the adoption of the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) and the progress of the COC, the Khmer Times reported.
“This year, ASEAN Chair Malaysia is pushing for the Draft COC. We aim to complete it by 2026. I have noted some work plans to move the negotiation process forward,” he said.
In 2002, ASEAN and China adopted the DOC, which outlined principles for peaceful dispute settlement and mutual trust building. However, the DOC lacked legally binding mechanisms, leading to continued tensions and incidents in the region.
“The challenge is the negotiation, which is not an easy task. There are many issues that need to be resolved. I hope the COC will be completed during my term as ASEAN Secretary-General,” noted Mr. Kao Kim Hourn.
However, the ASEAN Secretary-General explained that the COC does not end ongoing bilateral negotiations in the disputed waters, "but will allow ASEAN and China to be able to manage and resolve challenges and tensions".
According to him, effective territorial management "is still under bilateral negotiation based on international law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)".
Negotiations on the COC began in March 2018 and are still ongoing and have made some progress. During the 2023 ASEAN-China Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, both sides completed the second reading of the Draft COC and adopted guidelines to accelerate the negotiations, with the aim of concluding them within three years.
By the end of 2023, ASEAN and China had launched the third reading of the draft COC, and agreed to accelerate consultations, strive to soon achieve an effective and substantive COC in accordance with international law, and build the East Sea into a sea of peace, friendship and cooperation.
Also related to the COC, the New Straits Times reported on March 11 that Malaysian Deputy Foreign Minister Datuk Mohamad Alamin said that several rounds of negotiations on the COC under the ASEAN joint working group had taken place in Bali and Jakarta (Indonesia), Bangkok (Thailand), Xi'an (China) and Laos.
According to him, Malaysia, as ASEAN Chair 2025, will continue to work with the joint working group to finalize the COC framework.
Regarding Malaysia's stance on the East Sea issue, Mr. Alamin reaffirmed that the country has never changed and remains completely consistent in its approach to resolving any negotiations or disputes related to the East Sea.
Source
Comment (0)