Malaysia Hosts ASEAN-China Meetings On South China Sea In Kuching

KUCHING, Aug 11 (Bernama) -- Malaysia is once again hosting key ASEAN-China negotiations on the South China Sea, with the 48th Meeting of the ASEAN-China Joint Working Group on the Implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (JWG-DOC) and the 24th ASEAN-China Senior Officials’ Meeting on the Implementation of the Declaration (SOM-DOC) taking place here from today until Aug 14.

In a statement today, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Wisma Putra) said the meetings aim to further strengthen the implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC), which was signed on Nov 4, 2002 by ASEAN Member States and China.

“The DOC reflects the shared commitment of ASEAN and China to work towards the finalisation of a Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC), which is envisaged to contribute meaningfully to regional peace, security and stability.

"Under the DOC framework, various cooperative initiatives have been undertaken to build trust and confidence, as well as to promote constructive dialogue in addressing differences,” it said.

The statement said currently, ASEAN and China are actively engaged in developing the COC through the established mechanisms of the JWG-DOC and SOM-DOC.

Meanwhile, Wisma Putra said as ASEAN Chair in 2025 and Country Coordinator for ASEAN-China Dialogue Relations from August 2024 to July 2027, Malaysia also serves as Co-Chair alongside China in steering discussions on the implementation of the DOC and COC negotiations.

“Malaysia remains deeply committed to ensuring the effective implementation of the DOC by all parties, while also advancing a substantive and effective COC that constructively addresses key issues in the South China Sea, and safeguards its sovereignty, sovereign rights and national interests,” it added.

This year, five rounds of COC negotiations are being held in various ASEAN and Chinese cities — Jakarta in February, Manila (April), Kuching (August), Singapore (September) and China (November). Malaysia last hosted these meetings in 2019.

Wisma Putra said this year’s hosting reflects the country’s continued commitment to fostering regional dialogue and cooperation under the ASEAN-China framework, particularly in promoting peace, stability, mutual trust as well as the peaceful resolution of disputes in the South China Sea.

-- BERNAMA