(VOVworld) - Senior diplomats from China and ASEAN consulted on a Code of Conduct (COC) in the East Sea on Tuesday, during the 10th senior officials meeting on the implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) in Chengdu, capital of southwest China’s Sichuan Province.
An official press release stressed the shared political will to implement the DOC and reach a consensus on the COC as soon as possible.
The work plan for 2015-2016 has been updated with agreement on practical maritime cooperation under the DOC framework on navigation safety, search and rescue; marine research; environmental protection; and combating transnational crime.

Regarding the COC, parties discussed and formulated a list of crucial issues and an outline of the COC. The meeting mandated a joint working group to review and study the two documents.