Off the wire
1st LD-Writethru: Chinese shares fall following week of gains  • Interview: Chinese investment important drive for Peru's economy -- economist  • Leftist rebel spokesman arrested in S. Philippines  • Foreign exchange rates in India  • China, UK extend deal on currency swap  • TPP must be analyzed before being ratified: ECLAC  • Italian cyclist Palini wins second stage in 2015 Tour of Hainan  • Myanmar's first-ever sports university under construction in Nay Pyi Taw  • China crude oil output rises 2.5 percent  • Intel announces 5.5 bln-dollar upgrading of chip plant in Dalian  
You are here:   Home

China, ASEAN consult on South China Sea COC

Xinhua, October 21, 2015 Adjust font size:

Senior diplomats from China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) consulted on a code of conduct (COC) for the South China Sea on Tuesday.

The 10th senior officials meeting on the implementation of the declaration on the conduct of the parties in the South China Sea (DOC) was held in Chengdu, capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province. An official press release stressed the shared political will to implement the DOC and reach a consensus on the COC as soon as possible.

Signed by China and ASEAN members in 2002 and the first political document on the South China Sea, the DOC has special significance. It is in the interests of all parties to continue to implement the DOC, said the press release.

The work plan for 2015-2016 has been updated with agreement on practical maritime cooperation under the DOC framework on navigational safety, search and rescue; marine research; environmental protection; and combating transnational crime.

On the COC, parties discussed and formulated a list of crucial issues and an outline of the COC. The meeting mandated a joint working group to review and study the two documents. Endi