ASEAN-China Talks On South China Sea Code Of Conduct To Extend Into 2027

From Linda Khoo

MANILA, Nov 15 (NNN) -- ASEAN and China have entered the final phase of talks on a South China Sea Code of Conduct (COC), with negotiations set to run beyond the 2026 target and continue under Singapore’s ASEAN chairmanship in 2027.

Philippine Secretary of Foreign Affairs Ma. Theresa P. Lazaro said the parties had reached provisional agreement on more than 80 per cent of the draft’s paragraphs.

“The Parties agree to continue to work constructively, with a view to concluding the negotiations on an effective and substantive COC at the earliest possible time.

“This means we leave this almost 80 per cent finished documents to Singapore as the next chair,” she told a press briefing on Sunday.

The announcement came as ASEAN leaders gathered in Manila for the 49th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits.

Lazaro said differing views among the 10 ASEAN member states involved in the talks and China had made it difficult to conclude negotiations within the targeted timeframe.

However, she believed the parties could conclude the talks if given “another five to six months”.

As the negotiations draw closer to conclusion, Lazaro said the parties had reaffirmed their commitment to promoting mutual trust, confidence and cooperation.

“We remain committed to ensuring maritime safety, maintaining freedom of navigation and overflight, and preventing and managing incidents at sea.

“The Parties also underscore the importance of maintaining a conducive regional environment that will sustain the positive momentum generated in 2026,” she said.

Lazaro commended Malaysia and China, which co-chair the joint working group overseeing the implementation of the DOC, for advancing the negotiations.

“Their efforts have advanced the early conclusion of an effective and substantive COC that is consistent with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and that does not diminish the rights and obligations of any State with respect to the South China Sea, including non-Parties to the COC,” she said.

Lazaro said the parties had also reached provisional agreement on how the proposed code would build on the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC).

“The Parties now also agree that the COC, in addition to guiding conduct, will serve as a platform for practical maritime cooperation in the South China Sea,” she said.

ASEAN and China adopted guidelines in 2023 that set a three-year target for concluding the talks.

This year, the parties initiated nine rounds of negotiations and two senior officials’ meetings on the recommendation of the Philippines, this year’s ASEAN chair.

--NNN