China and the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) formally adopted Sunday the Framework of the Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea during the ASEAN-China Ministerial Meeting at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) in Pasay City.

The draft framework was completed last May during the 14th ASEAN-China Senior Officials’ meeting on the implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of the Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) held in Guiying, China. The consensus was reached ahead of the mid-2017 goal set by the leaders of ASEAN and China.

Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Spokesperson Rob Bolivar said all parties agreed on three steps following the adoption of the framework: First, the announcement of the framework at the 50th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting and related meetings where it is expected a paragraph with the chairman’s statement to reflect this;

Second, a meeting to be convened at the end of August to discuss the modalities of the negotiations of the actual COC with the approved framework as the basis for the talks;

Third, the leaders of ASEAN and China are expected to announce the formal start of negotiations of the COC at the summit in November.

“ASEAN and China will continue to cooperate on such practical maritime cooperation efforts, including management and prevention of conflicts through confidence building measures as well as to prevent miscalculations on the ground,” Bolivar told reporters during a media briefing on the outcomes of the ASEAN post-ministerial meetings.

Source:
courtesy of MANILA BULLETIN

by Roy Mabasa

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