Delegates to the meeting pose for a group photo (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and China hold the 17th senior officials’meeting (SOM) on the implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Partieson the East Sea (DOC) in Hangzhou,China, on May17 and 18.

Earlier, the ASEAN-China joint working group onthe implementation of the DOC met on May 16 and 17 to look into the situationon the East Sea, review the implementation of the DOC and continue thenegotiations on the Code of Conduct on the East Sea (COC).

Addressingthe meeting, head of the Vietnamese delegation Deputy Foreign Minister NguyenQuoc Dung acknowledged the progress made in the implementation of the COC andthe negotiations on the COC.

At the sametime, he shared Vietnam’s concern about the complications in the East Sea whichare caused by strategic competitions among powers and unilateral actions thatrun counter to international law and the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of theSea, particularly militarization actions, which have undermined trust, hinderedthe maintenance of peace, stability and affected negotiations on the COC.

TheVietnamese head delegate emphasized that the East Seais also facing other challenges such as illegal, unreported and unregulatedfishing (IUU fishing), pollution and plastic waste.
                       
 He called on countriesto uphold their sense of responsibility and join hands to fully implement theDOC, refrain from militarization or making moves that can further complicatethe situation, and promote cooperation to handling arising challenges.

The DeputyFM informed the meeting that Vietnamwill organize a seminar within the framework of the DOC on the fair and humanetreatment for fishermen.

Regardingthe COC, Deputy FM Dung urged the ASEAN and China to do their best innegotiations so as to achieve an effective code of conduct that is in line withinternational law, including the internationally recognized UNCLOS. He addedthat Vietnamwill host the 18th ASEAN-China SOM on the implementation of the DOCin the latter half of 2019.

At themeeting, many countries noted that the complicated situation on the East Seahas its roots in recent developments in the waters, which increased tensions,undermined trust and posed risks to peace and stability on the sea.
                      
Thecountries reiterated the importance of ensuring peace, stability, and security,safety and freedom of navigation and overflight on the East Sea.They committed themselves to the full and effective implementation of the DOC,especially self-restraint, and to cooperation on trust building. The meetingapproved Vietnam’sproposal on organising a seminar on the fair and humane treatment of fishermen.

ꦿ The meetingrecognized the work of the ASEAN-China joint working group and progress in thenegotiations on the COC, saying that the negotiations are following theroadmap towards completing the first round of review ahead of the ASEAN-China PostMinisterial Conference slatedfor the end of July and early August this year in Bangkok, Thailand.  

Thecountries agreed to keep the pace of negotiations and make joint effortstowards building a result-oriented, effective COC that is in accordance withinternational law.

♋ They shared the view that during the process, allsides should exercise self-restraint and maintain an environment favourable  for the building of the COC.-VNA