CHINA has agreed to start negotiations for a binding Code of Conduct in the South China Sea, following formal talks between Beijing and the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations, a spokesman for President Rodrigo Duterte said Monday.
The Asean and China decided to adopt “in its entirety” the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the disputed waters adopted by the foreign ministers of Asean member countries and China last August.
“One of the outcomes of the meetings is to commence the negotiations on a substantive and effective Code of Conduct in the South China Sea after concluding Framework Agreement on Code of Conduct,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said.
The President “has expressed optimism” about the future direction of Asean-China dialogue relations, based on the substantive discussions during the Asean-China Summit concluded Tuesday.
The Asean-China Summit, which President Duterte chaired, resulted in the issuance of documents on controlling corruption, tourism cooperation and infrastructure development, Roque said.
The three documents finalized were: the Asean-China Joint Statement on Comprehensively Strengthening Effective Anti-Corruption Cooperation; Asean-China Leaders’ Statement on Tourism Cooperation; and Joint Statement between China and Asean on Further Deepening the Cooperation of Infrastructure Connectivity, Roque added.
The Asean leaders on Monday skirted disputes over the South China Sea.
“While the situation is calmer now, we cannot take the current progress for granted,” a draft statement leaked to the press Monday said.
The draft stated that what is important is the Asean and claimant countries would cooperate to maintain peace, stability, freedom of navigation in and over-flight anove the South China Sea, in accordance with international law.
“It is our collective interest to avoid miscalculations that could lead to escalation of tensions,” the draft stated.
China claims most of the oil-resource-rich South China Sea where a total of $5 trillion worth of trade passes through the disputed waters every year, citing its excessive nine-dash line from its so-called Chinese ancient map.
But the Arbitral Tribunal has ruled in favor of the Philippines and declared China’s claim excessive and illegal.
Aside from the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Vietnam has overlapping claims in the South China Sea.
So far, China has built military garrison or bases in the Spratly Island to assert its right to the sea.
Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque said that during the Asean-United States dialogue, Malaysia Prime Minister Najib Razak raised the issue in the South China Sea in the presence of US President Donald Trump.
“The party who brought up the South China Sea issue was the Prime Minister of Malaysia. Because the prime minister of Malaysia was asked to deliver the common statement of Asean in the presence of the US President,” he said.
During the Asean-China dialogue, Beijing welcomed the “positive developments between Asean and China” on the South China Sea.
“The Framework of the Code of Conduct [COC],adopted by the Foreign Ministers of Asean Member States and China in August, was an important milestone,” Asean and China said in a joint statement.
The draft joint statement also announced that leaders of the Asean have agreed to officially begin negotiations with China on the COC.
“Trust that we will continue this positive momentum and work towards a substantive and effective COC,” it said, adding that both parties look forward to an early conclusion of the COC.
“The Declaration on a Decade of Coastal and Marine Environmental Protection in the South China Sea, which we will adopt today, is reflective of our shared commitment to the implementation of the DOC. We should continue to build confidence and trust through practical maritime cooperation,” it said.
“By managing the SCS issue well, we can keep Asean-China relations on the current positive trajectory,” it added.