Malaysia’s Foreign Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman (centre) posing with his Asean counterparts before the Asean Foreign Ministers Meeting held in conjunction with the 26th Asean Summit at Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre. From left are Myanmar’s U Wunna Maung Lwin, Philippines’ Albert F del Rosario, Singapore’s K Shanmugam, Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister General Tanasak Patimapragorn, Viet Deputy Prime Minister cum Foreign Affairs Minister Pham Binh Minh, Laos Deputy Prime Minister cum Foreign Affairs Minister Dr Thongloun Sisoulith, Brunei’s Second Foreign Affairs Minister Lim Jock Seng, Cambodia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister Hor Namhong, Indonesia’s Foreign Affairs Minister Retno LP Marsudi and Asean secretary-general Le Luong Minh. — Bernama photo
KUALA LUMPUR: The Asean and China joint working group on the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea will meet in Thailand in May for further discussions on formulation of the document.
Thai Foreign Minister General Tanasak Patimapragorn described as ‘very good’ the progress made so far on the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DoC) and the Code of the Conduct in the South China Sea (CoC).
Speaking to reporters after attending the Asean Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM) at the KL Convention Centre here, he said the results of the meeting would be submitted to the PMC+1 (Asean Post Ministerial Meeting with China) set for August.
Thailand is coordinating the joint effort.
Asean and China signed the DoC in 2002 and had agreed to draw up the CoC as a guideline to avoid any friction or conflict in the disputed region. To date, there had been no consensus on the CoC.
The overlapping territorial maritime claims in the resource-rich South China Sea involve Brunei, the Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam, China and Taiwan.
Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno L.P Marsudi, who was met after the meeting, said that Asean’s stance on the issue remained unchanged, that the 10-member bloc wanted to see the region continued to stay stable and peaceful.
She said the meeting also discussed the need for active implementation of the DoC and the commencement of the CoC negotiation.
Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert F. Del Rosario, in highlighting the South China Sea dispute at the closed-door meeting, sought Asean’s solidarity and determination in resolving the issue for common good.
His text of speech was made available to the press after the meeting.
International media had reported that construction work was booming in the disputed area in the South China Sea.
From satellite images, China is seen to have made rapid progress in building an airstrip suitable for military use in the disputed territories.
Rosario expressed his concern that the reclamation work might threaten security in the region, infringe the rights of other countries, and damage marine environment.
He believed that the reclamation was intended to change the regional status quo, and to undermine the rule of law and render the DoC and the CoC irrelevant.
When met after the meeting, Rosario said he hoped Asean leaders would seriously deliberate on the issue that he had brought up. — Bernama