May Meeting In Thailand To Further Discuss CoC In South China Sea

KUALA LUMPUR, April 27 (Bernama) -- The ASEAN and China joint working group on the Code of Conduct (CoC) in the South China Sea will meet in Thailand in May for further discussions on the document's formulation. General Tanasak Patimapragorn, Thailand's Foreign Minister, the coordinating country for the joint effort, described as "very good" the progress made so far on the matter and involving the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DoC) and the consultations on the Code of the Conduct in the South China Sea (CoC). Subsequently, the result of the meeting would be submitted to the PMC+1 (ASEAN Post Ministerial Meeting with China), scheduled to be held in August. He told reporters this after attending the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting (AMM) ahead of the 26th ASEAN Summit tomorrow, at the KL Convention Centre, here, Sunday. 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 resources-rich South China Sea involves Brunei, the Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam, China and Taiwan. Meanwhile, Indonesia's Foreign Minister Retno L.P Marsudi when met after the meeting, said ASEAN's stance on the issue remained the same - the 10-member bloc wanted to see the region stable and peaceful. She said that the meeting also discussed the need for an 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 issue at the closed door high level meeting, had sought for ASEAN to act in solidarity and show its resolve in acting in the common interest of the grouping. The text of his speech was made available to the press after the meeting. International media had reported that construction work was booming in the South China Sea in an area whose sovereignty is disputed by the six parties. Among others, the reports mentioned that according to new satellite images, China is making rapid progress in building an airstrip suitable for military use in the disputed territories. Rosario expressed his concern that the reclamation activities might militarise the region, infringe on the rights of other states and damage the marine environment. He believed that the reclamation was intended to change the regional status quo, undermine the rule of law, and render the DoC and the CoC irrelevant. When approached by the media on the sidelines of the meeting, Rosario said he hoped ASEAN leaders will seriously consider the issues that he had brought up. -- BERNAMA