Metro Manila, Philippines – ASEAN and China have demonstrated the political will to conclude a long-awaited Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea by the end of the year, Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro said Thursday.
Speaking after the 59th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and Related Meetings in Manila on Thursday, July 23, Lazaro said negotiations have intensified this year, with ASEAN and Chinese negotiators meeting every month since January.
“Since the start of January, there have been monthly meetings of the negotiators, and this is now part of the political will that we intend to finish this code of conduct by the end of the year,” Lazaro said.
She said the South China Sea remained a major focus of discussions during the meetings, with all 10 ASEAN member states and China working toward completing the long-delayed agreement.
“On the South China Sea, what was given attention is the code of conduct that ASEAN and China are geared towards hopefully the conclusion of the code of conduct by the end of this year,” she said.
Lazaro said negotiators have made progress on the principle of self-restraint, while discussions continue on the code’s geographical scope, legal nature and its relationship with the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea.
She said the proposed code remains anchored on the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), respects the rights of third parties and seeks to establish rules governing conduct at sea.
Asked whether recent confrontations in Ayungin Shoal and Bajo de Masinloc could affect the negotiations, Lazaro said such developments are part of the ongoing discussions as ASEAN and China work toward concluding the agreement this year.
