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ASEAN, China agree on guidelines to accelerate South China Sea code of conduct negotiations

About one-third of the world's maritime shipping passes through the South China Sea every year.

ASEAN, China agree on guidelines to accelerate South China Sea code of conduct negotiations

Indonesia Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi (right) meets Chinese top diplomat Wang Yi before a bilateral meeting between Indonesia and China at the Pancasila Building of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Jakarta on Jul 12, 2023. (Photo: CNA/Danang Wisanggeni)

JAKARTA: The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and China on Thursday (Jul 13) agreed on guidelines to accelerate the negotiation of the code of conduct for the South China Sea.

The guidelines were adopted in a meeting between China’s top diplomat Wang Yi and ASEAN’s foreign ministers in Jakarta, where the group has held its annual foreign ministers and related meetings.

Indonesia is the current rotating chair of ASEAN. 

"This achievement must continue to build positive momentum to strengthen partnerships that advance a paradigm of inclusivity and openness, respecting the international law including UNCLOS 1982, and encourage the habits to hold dialogues and collaboration," said Indonesia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi, referring to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea which China has ratified. 

Mdm Marsudi said she hoped that China would be ASEAN’s trusted partner to foster an “open and inclusive regional architecture”.

“Only then can we achieve win-win cooperation for the sake of creation, of peace, stability and shared prosperity in the Indo-Pacific," she added. 

Details of the guidelines were, however, not revealed. 

About one-third of the world's maritime shipping passes through the South China Sea every year, carrying over US$3 trillion in trade. 

It is a hotly contested region with overlapping claims. China claims much of the South China Sea, but ASEAN members Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam are also claimant states.

Current ASEAN chair Indonesia is not a claimant state in the South China Sea, but it has clashed with China over fishing rights around its Natuna Islands near the disputed waters in the past few years.

For years, ASEAN countries and the United States have challenged China’s territorial claims and tried negotiating a code of conduct to resolve disputes. 

However, negotiations have stalled due to various reasons, such as the recent COVID-19 pandemic, which made it more difficult to hold in-person meetings.

Still, ASEAN and China are each other’s largest trading partners. Trade between the two is valued at about US$975 billion. 

China is also the fourth largest source of foreign direct investment for ASEAN, with a value of US$13.8 billion in 2021.

During the meeting on Thursday, the two parties also agreed to push ahead with talks on a third version of a free trade agreement.

China’s top diplomat Wang Yi said he welcomes the code of conduct guidelines and the trade talks and added that China will continue to play a constructive role in the region.

“Given the complex and profound changes in the international and regional situation, China is ready to work with ASEAN to cherish the fruitful result of bilateral cooperation,” he said. 

Source: CNA/ks(as)
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