The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and China are now working on the second draft of the Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC), according to the bloc’s Secretary General Lim Jock Hoi.
ASEAN Secretary General Lim Jock Hoi (Photo xinhua)
Hanoi (VNA) - The Association of Southeast Asian Nations(ASEAN) and China are now working on the second draft of the Code of Conduct inthe East Sea (COC), according to the bloc’s Secretary General Lim Jock Hoi.
Speaking at a video conference during the 11th Editors’Roundtable organised by Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia(ERIA) and Khmer Times in Phnom Penh on October 18, he said that thetwo sides were done with the first draft and are going to the second.
He said despite challenges, including the delay because ofthe COVID-19 pandemic, ASEAN member states and China have exerted efforts toresume their negotiations on COC and maintain the momentum of work, includingutilising virtual platform, video conference.
The joint working group has also resumed in-persondiscussions as both continue to reaffirm the aspiration to expedite the negotiations and work towards the early conclusion of an effective and substantive COC.
In the meantime, ASEAN will continue to work with China with due attentiongiven to the confidence-building and preventive measure to enhance trust andconfidence among parties in order to provide a conducive environment for the COCnegotiations, he added./.
Cambodian Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Prak Sokhonn said Cambodia welcomes the resumption of negotiations on a Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea (called the East Sea in Vietnam) as it reflects the commitment of ASEAN and China to maintain regional stability by managing differences as per international law.
Vietnam has full legal grounds and historical evidence to prove its sovereignty over the Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagoes in accordance with international law as stated in the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) 1982, stated Foreign Ministry Deputy Spokesperson Pham Thu Hang.
The Declaration of the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) has contributed to promoting peace, trust and cooperation between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and China, former Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Dy Nien told a conference held by the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs on July 25.
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ASEAN Secretary General Lim Jock Hoi (Photo xinhua) 
