ASEAN and Chinese officials met in Vietnam’s central city of Da Lat to review the situation in the South China Sea, known as the East Sea in Vietnam, the implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), and  the formulation of a Code of Conduct (COC) in the region.

High on the agenda were the latest developments in the East Sea, particularly in Vietnam’s Exclusive Economic Zone. Many participants said that if the current tension continues, it will increase the risk of confrontation and miscalculation, threatening peace, security and stability in the region. Delegates stressed the importance of fully implementing the DOC with priority given to trust building, cooperation in marine environment protection and humanitarian treatment of fishermen. They agreed to push up negotiations to build an effective COC which can prevent complicated incidents in the East Sea.

The Vietnamese delegates said that Vietnam’s sovereign rights and jurisdiction in the East Sea under international law and UNCLOS have been seriously violated by China. The violations have been negatively affecting peace and security in the region and unbeneficial to COC negotiations, they noted.