Senior officials from ASEAN and China gathered in the Thai seasideresort of Pattaya on April 21-22 to review the two sides’ partnershipand the implementation of the Declaration of the Conduct of Parties inthe East Sea (DOC).
They were also present for an official consultation on a potential Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC).
Deputy Foreign Minister Pham Quang Vinh led a Vietnamese delegation to these events.
At the 20th Senior Officials Meeting (SOM) on the ASEAN-ChinaPartnership, the two sides reviewed their cooperation and theimplementation of the outcomes of the 16 th ASEAN-China Summit lastOctober and the 2011-2015 ASEAN-China Action Plan.
Theyagreed that the ASEAN-China strategic partnership continued to seeimportant progress in various areas such as economics,politics-security, culture and education.
ASEAN countriescongratulated China for its all-round achievements while Chinapledged strong support for ASEAN in building its community and promotingits central role in cooperation for peace, security and development inthe region.
The two sides highly valued the celebration of10 years of ASEAN-China strategic partnership in 2013, with theorganisation of a special foreign ministers’ meeting, a summit markingthe event and an ASEAN economic ministers’ programme to promote economiccooperation in China.
Two-way trade between ASEAN andChina now surpasses 400 billion USD. China remains the largest tradepartner of ASEAN and the bloc is the third largest trade partner of theformer.
The two sides strive to bring their two-way trade to 500 billion by 2015.
ASEAN and China affirmed their determination to further step up their strategic partnership at the meetings.
Thetalks also acknowledged China’s recent proposals to enhance bilateralcollaboration, including the building of a treaty on neighbourliness ofamity, friendship and cooperation; the upgrading of the ASEAN-China FreeTrade Agreement, the establishment of the Asian infrastructureinvestment bank; and the strengthening of marine cooperation.
The event was an active and effective preparation for the success ofthe annual ASEAN-China Foreign Ministers’ Meeting scheduled for thisAugust.
At the seventh ASEAN-China Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM)on the DOC implementation, the two sides stressed the significance ofthe full implementation of the DOC and efforts to accelerate thebuilding of the COC in order to ensure peace, stability, security andmarine safety in the East Sea.
ASEAN representatives saidthe full implementation of the DOC includes addressing disputes bypeaceful measures, observing international law and the 1982 UnitedNations on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), materialising the 2014 Work Planon the basis of the document guiding the implementation of the DOC,exchanging measures to speed up trust-building projects such as searchand rescue, setting up an ASEAN-China hotline at sea, and humanitarianaid.
They agreed to make the best use of the outcomes reaped at the first consultation in Suzhou, China, in September, 2013.
ASEAN highlighted the need to early begin substantial negotiations onthe COC, first of all to reach consensus on viewpoints, approaches andgoals of the COC, saying the document should be a an overall set ofrules with values higher than that of the DOC in a bid to better ensurepeace, security and marine safety in the region.
Thetwo sides also underlined the building of a concrete working plan andschedule to speed up the consultation process on the COC.
ASEAN suggested the early deployment of several measures to acceleratetrust-building work, prevent and handle arising issues such as settingup the hotline and conducting joint rescue operation.
Delegates at the event affirmed the ASEAN-China SOM as the officialmechanism in building the COC and the Joint Working Group as the supportone that implements guidelines put forth at the meeting.
The senior officials will report results to the annual ASEAN-ChinaForeign Ministers’ Meeting in upcoming August. Another SOM and twomeetings of the joint working group are scheduled to be held this year.
At the function, the Vietnamese delegation actively engaged in consultations and dialogues.
Speaking at the meetings, Deputy Minister Vinh highly valued theASEAN-China strategic partnership as well as cooperative outcomesbetween the two sides over the past time.
Sharing otherparticipants’ views, the official also laid emphasis on the significanceof ensuring peace, stability, marine security and safety in the EastSea, promoting active and result-oriented consultations between the twosides, fully implementing the DOC, abiding by international law and the1982 UNCLOS, and actively implementing trust-building measures.
He urged for the early formation of the COC with comprehensive bindingrules completed with mechanisms and measures to better ensure peace,security and marine and aviation safety in the region.-VNA
They were also present for an official consultation on a potential Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC).
Deputy Foreign Minister Pham Quang Vinh led a Vietnamese delegation to these events.
At the 20th Senior Officials Meeting (SOM) on the ASEAN-ChinaPartnership, the two sides reviewed their cooperation and theimplementation of the outcomes of the 16 th ASEAN-China Summit lastOctober and the 2011-2015 ASEAN-China Action Plan.
Theyagreed that the ASEAN-China strategic partnership continued to seeimportant progress in various areas such as economics,politics-security, culture and education.
ASEAN countriescongratulated China for its all-round achievements while Chinapledged strong support for ASEAN in building its community and promotingits central role in cooperation for peace, security and development inthe region.
The two sides highly valued the celebration of10 years of ASEAN-China strategic partnership in 2013, with theorganisation of a special foreign ministers’ meeting, a summit markingthe event and an ASEAN economic ministers’ programme to promote economiccooperation in China.
Two-way trade between ASEAN andChina now surpasses 400 billion USD. China remains the largest tradepartner of ASEAN and the bloc is the third largest trade partner of theformer.
The two sides strive to bring their two-way trade to 500 billion by 2015.
ASEAN and China affirmed their determination to further step up their strategic partnership at the meetings.
Thetalks also acknowledged China’s recent proposals to enhance bilateralcollaboration, including the building of a treaty on neighbourliness ofamity, friendship and cooperation; the upgrading of the ASEAN-China FreeTrade Agreement, the establishment of the Asian infrastructureinvestment bank; and the strengthening of marine cooperation.
The event was an active and effective preparation for the success ofthe annual ASEAN-China Foreign Ministers’ Meeting scheduled for thisAugust.
At the seventh ASEAN-China Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM)on the DOC implementation, the two sides stressed the significance ofthe full implementation of the DOC and efforts to accelerate thebuilding of the COC in order to ensure peace, stability, security andmarine safety in the East Sea.
ASEAN representatives saidthe full implementation of the DOC includes addressing disputes bypeaceful measures, observing international law and the 1982 UnitedNations on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), materialising the 2014 Work Planon the basis of the document guiding the implementation of the DOC,exchanging measures to speed up trust-building projects such as searchand rescue, setting up an ASEAN-China hotline at sea, and humanitarianaid.
They agreed to make the best use of the outcomes reaped at the first consultation in Suzhou, China, in September, 2013.
ASEAN highlighted the need to early begin substantial negotiations onthe COC, first of all to reach consensus on viewpoints, approaches andgoals of the COC, saying the document should be a an overall set ofrules with values higher than that of the DOC in a bid to better ensurepeace, security and marine safety in the region.
Thetwo sides also underlined the building of a concrete working plan andschedule to speed up the consultation process on the COC.
ASEAN suggested the early deployment of several measures to acceleratetrust-building work, prevent and handle arising issues such as settingup the hotline and conducting joint rescue operation.
Delegates at the event affirmed the ASEAN-China SOM as the officialmechanism in building the COC and the Joint Working Group as the supportone that implements guidelines put forth at the meeting.
The senior officials will report results to the annual ASEAN-ChinaForeign Ministers’ Meeting in upcoming August. Another SOM and twomeetings of the joint working group are scheduled to be held this year.
At the function, the Vietnamese delegation actively engaged in consultations and dialogues.
Speaking at the meetings, Deputy Minister Vinh highly valued theASEAN-China strategic partnership as well as cooperative outcomesbetween the two sides over the past time.
Sharing otherparticipants’ views, the official also laid emphasis on the significanceof ensuring peace, stability, marine security and safety in the EastSea, promoting active and result-oriented consultations between the twosides, fully implementing the DOC, abiding by international law and the1982 UNCLOS, and actively implementing trust-building measures.
He urged for the early formation of the COC with comprehensive bindingrules completed with mechanisms and measures to better ensure peace,security and marine and aviation safety in the region.-VNA
