The ASEAN hopes to complete a binding Code of Conduct in the South China Sea by 2026!
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) expects to conclude a binding code of conduct on the South China Sea during the Philippines' chairmanship of ASEAN in 2026.
ASEAN Secretary-General Lim Jock Seng said on Thursday that the drafting of the Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea has been ongoing since 2017, "We expect this to be completed next year, because we have agreed to strive to conclude it around July 2026. We should not extend the drafting of the COC. The process is important, and the outcome is equally important. I believe we need to finalize it, ensuring that the COC is binding. One issue is whether it is binding. I believe this will be an ongoing discussion."
Lim Jock Seng said that the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea, which ASEAN has been negotiating with China since 2017, originates from the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC). The DOC is considered a confidence-building measure, laying a very important foundation for how ASEAN and China cooperate in the South China Sea.
"We already have a non-binding document, which is one of the other issues that need to be addressed. I am confident that we will finally determine it at some stage. I fully believe that this work will be completed next year."
Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1848094045515776/
Statement: The article represents the views of the author himself.