Tok Mat says South China Sea code talks nearly 90pc complete, Malaysia pushing for deal by this year

Detailed summary

Nearly 90 per cent of the proposed Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea has been agreed upon by Asean and China, with Malaysia optimistic ...

MANILA, Nov 14 — Nearly 90 per cent of the proposed Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea has been agreed upon by Asean and China, with Malaysia optimistic that negotiations can be concluded soon.

Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said negotiations were in their final stage, although several outstanding issues still required political decisions.

He said certain sensitive terms and provisions also needed mutual agreement among the countries involved.

“Malaysia, as the country coordinator for Asean-China relations, is committed to ensuring that the negotiations are concluded as soon as possible.

“Nearly 90 per cent of the terms, paragraphs and wording in the document have been agreed upon. However, some words may be sensitive to certain countries but not to others,” he told Malaysian journalists after attending Asean foreign ministers’ meetings here today.

Mohamad said the three-year target previously set to conclude the COC negotiations would expire this year, with efforts now focused on aligning the positions of the littoral states involved.

Asean and China have intensified negotiations this year, holding monthly meetings to resolve outstanding issues, including the COC’s legal status, geographical scope, and relationship with the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC).

Both sides are aiming to conclude negotiations on the COC by the end of this year. — Bernama

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