ASEAN-China Agree on Code of Conduct Negotiation Guidelines in the South China Sea

Jakarta, MINA – ASEAN and the People’s Republic of China (PRC) agreed on guidelines to speed up negotiations on the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea.

The guidelines were adopted at a meeting of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers with the Director of Foreign Affairs of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party Wang Yi in Jakarta on Thursday.

The Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi in her opening remarks said that China was an important partner for ASEAN in maintaining peace, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region for more than three decades.

Economically, China is ASEAN’s largest trading partner. Vice versa, ASEAN is China’s largest trading partner. The trade between the two reached USD 975 billion. China is also the fourth largest source of foreign investment for ASEAN with a value of USD 13.8 billion in 2021.

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“Our partnership is increasingly important in the midst of increasing challenges,” said Retno.

This year the relationship between the two made important history, namely the completion of the Guidelines to accelerate effective and substantive COC negotiations, the completion of the second reading of the single draft of the COC negotiations, as well as the 20th anniversary of China’s accession to the Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation (TAC).

“This achievement must continue to build positive momentum to strengthen partnerships that advance the paradigm of inclusivity and openness, respect international law including UNCLOS 1982, and encourage dialogue and collaboration habits,” said Retno.

Both parties must work hard to strengthen the partnership. China must be a trusted partner of ASEAN in maintaining an open and inclusive regional architecture.

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“Only in this way can we achieve a win-win cooperation for the sake of creating peace, stability and mutual prosperity in the Indo-Pacific,” said Retno.

The Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs requested China’s support for the concrete implementation of the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP), including plans to hold the ASEAN Indo-Pacific Forum (AIPF) next September.

As Chair, the Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs also read out the ASEAN joint statement. Matters raised in the joint statement included: the importance of compliance with the TAC, adoption of Guidelines for accelerating COC negotiations, support for AOIP implementation, economic cooperation, strengthening health resilience, and people-to-people contact.

Meanwhile, China expressed its support for the TAC and the centrality of ASEAN in the development of an inclusive regional architecture. China has also raised a number of priority areas of cooperation, such as agriculture, development of electric vehicles, blue economy, and people-to-people contacts.

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The meeting encourages increased ASEAN-PRC economic cooperation, including the completion of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) 3.0 negotiations, to strengthen trade relations and regional supply chains. The meeting also stressed the importance of revitalizing post-pandemic connectivity, including the realization of China’s commitment to regional infrastructure development.

In addition, the meeting encouraged cooperation in dealing with climate change, including to ensure regional food security, as well as the development of new and renewable energy, and welcomed progress in the negotiation process regarding the South China Sea. (L/RE1/P2)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)