QUANG NINH, May 18 — The 20th Asean – China Senior Officials’ Meeting on the Implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties (DOC) in the East Sea (South China Sea) (SOM-DOC) was held in Vietnam’s northern province of Quang Ninh on Wednesday, after nearly two years of hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The 20th SOM-DOC was co-chaired by Myanmar, the coordinator of Asean – China ties, and China, reported the Vietnam News Agency.
Vietnam’s Acting Head of Asean SOM, Ambassador Vu Ho, stressed that maintaining and promoting peace, stability, security, safety and freedom of navigation and overflight in the East Sea is not only the shared interest and responsibility of Asean and China but also reflects their responsibility towards the international community, as it is a crucial maritime route of the world.
Given the complex situation and ongoing unilateral actions that violate international law in the East Sea, he suggested that countries should combine ‘words with deeds’ by translating political commitments into specific and appropriate actions in the field.
In such spirit, Vu highlighted the need to use international law and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) as a ‘lodestar’ for activities in the East Sea.
While striving to achieve a Code of Conduct (CoC) in the East Sea that is practical, effective and conformable with international law and the 1982 UNCLOS, and supported by the international community, Ho said countries must seriously and fully abide by all the provisions of the DOC.
Delegates attending the event spoke highly of positive results in the DOC implementation in the past. They urged Asean and China to seriously, fully and effectively observe all the provisions of the DOC.
The 20th SOM-DOC acknowledged progress in the CoC negotiations and discussed orientations to the process carried out by the Joint Working Group on the DOC (JWG DOC).
The participants agreed to hold the 21st SOM-DOC in China in the fourth quarter of 2023.
— Bernama
