ASEAN and China fail to conclude South China Sea code of conduct
Negotiations on the long-delayed code have stalled despite reaching a provisional agreement on approximately 80 per cent of the draft.
ASEAN and China have failed to conclude negotiations on a South China Sea code of conduct under the chairmanship of the Philippines, according to The Economic Times. Philippine foreign minister Ma. Theresa Lazaro said on Sunday that while a provisional agreement was reached on about 80 per cent of the draft, several key issues remain unresolved.
The unresolved matters include whether the code will be legally binding. Lazaro added that ASEAN countries and China hold different views on the situation. China's neighbours want the code to be based on international law, which they say Beijing disregards while asserting sovereignty over nearly all of the South China Sea.
Beijing maintains its actions in the region are lawful and professional.
India’s Ambassador to ASEAN Srinivas Gotru said in Manila that any negotiated code must align with international law. He stated that the agreement should protect the rights of nations not involved in the territorial disputes. Gotru noted that the region is strategically important to India as a major global trade and energy route.
The negotiations have continued for over two decades. Singapore is expected to take over the ASEAN chairmanship next year and will face the task of securing an agreement. Collin Koh, a senior fellow at Singapore's S.
Rajaratnam School of International Studies, said divisions among ASEAN members regarding the geographical scope of the code have also slowed progress.
