Negotiations between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and China on a long-awaited code of conduct (COC) in the South China Sea are making “good progress,” Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro said Thursday.
Lazaro said all parties remain committed to completing the COC within the year, citing growing political support among participating countries despite continuing developments in the disputed waters.
“ASEAN now and China (are) geared towards the conclusion—hopefully the conclusion—of the code of conduct by the end of this year. And this seems to be the focus of many of the countries, and I can see some political will from all the countries involved,” Lazaro said during a press conference in Parañaque City.
Negotiators have increased the pace of discussions through monthly in-person meetings as they work to resolve four key milestone issues in the draft agreement.
These issues include the relationship between the COC and the non-binding 2002 ASEAN Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC), whether the final agreement will be legally binding, the document’s geographical scope, and the definition of key terms such as self-restraint.
Lazaro said progress has been made in discussions on some of the terms being negotiated.
“If we see it from our point of view as the progress being made, the terms of reference is very important—let’s say (the definition of) self-restraint, now, there’s been some kind of consensus, a growing consensus, and that’s, for us, good progress,” she said.
The negotiations took place as foreign ministers from ASEAN, China, and other partner countries, including the United States, Australia, and Japan, gathered in Manila for the 59th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and Related Meetings.
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong reiterated Canberra’s position that any future COC should not affect the rights of countries under international law, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
“That’s Australia’s position. We think that parties should abide by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and we have consistently said we would not want to see any code of conduct that diminished any rights under that convention, whether for claimant states or third parties,” Wong said.
Photo courtesy of ASEAN Briefing
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