THE foreign secretaries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and China are set to endorse the framework for a code of conduct that will halt any unilateral actions in the South China Sea, an official said Monday.
Foreign Affairs spokesman Robespierre Bolivar also said the COC’s framework was expected to be approved by the Asean and China on Aug. 6.
“We expect the Asean-China foreign ministers to endorse the Framework of the COC at their meeting on Sunday,” Bolivar said, adding that would show the strong “commitment” of the two parties to reach the goal for a more binding COC.
Bolivar said the framework would be one of the major agreements that will happen during this week’s Asean ministerial meeting to be hosted by the Philippines, the bloc’s chairman this year.
This week, the Asean ministerial meeting and post-ministerial conference meetings, including the Asean Regional Forum, will be held from Aug. 2 to 8 in Manila.
Bolivar said US secretary of State Rex Tillerson may attend the forum, the world’s largest security gathering among the 10 Asean foreign ministers and their counterparts from 17 regional partners including the US, Japan, China, Australia, Russia, South Korea and North Korea.
“Yes, Secretary Rex Tillerson is confirmed to attend the Asean-US, EAS and ARF Ministerial Meetings,” Bolivar said.
The Declaration of Conduct was signed in 2002 between China and the Asean, a non-binding edict aimed at reducing the tensions in the region and preventing the claimant-countries China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan from aggressively pursuing their claims.
The Code of Conduct, on the other hand, is a more binding edict that was enshrined in the DOC. It hopes to further promote peace and stability in the economically vital sea lane.
The creation of the COC, the Asean said, must be “legally binding” to put a stop to the “unilateral actions” in the South China Sea.
But Bolivar said it would be unlikely for the Asean to make the framework of the COC available before the public.
He said the Asean and China were able to finish the framework in May, a month earlier than the deadline set in June.
“The Framework is done, it was finalized in May at the meeting in Guiyang, China, and also endorsed by the senior officials,” he said.
He said the endorsement by the ministers was the “final stage of approval”.
He said the reason why the framework would be approved only in August was because the meeting of the Asean-China Foreign Ministers was traditionally held in August.
“We could not schedule a special meeting for this, so it was thought best to adopt the document at the regular meeting,” Bolivar said.
After the endorsement of the foreign ministers of the Asean and China, Bolivar said, the framework would be elevated to the leaders to note the approval and give further instructions on when to hold the actual negotiations for a COC.
Making sign to a code that it must abide by had long been a goal for Asean’s claimant members such as Vietnam, the Philippines, Brunei and Malaysia.
China claims most of the oil-resource-rich South China Sea where $5 trillion worth of trade passes through the disputed waters every year.
But the Arbitral Tribunal has ruled in favor of the Philippines and declared China’s claim as excessive and illegal.
China has built military garrisons or bases on the Spratly Islands to assert its right to the sea.