DALAT, Vietnam, Oct. 17 (ChinaMil)--The 18th senior officials' meeting on the implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (SOM-DOC) was held in DaLat, Vietnam on Oct 15. Senior officials from China and ASEAN countries attended the meeting.
The parties had an in-depth discussion on such issues as the situation in the South China Sea, the full and effective implementation of the DOC, practical maritime cooperation and consultations on the Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea. All parties agreed that the situation in the South China Sea is generally stable and reiterated the importance of the full and effective implementation of the DOC in safeguarding peace and stability in the South China Sea and enhancing trust and confidence among all parties.
The meeting expressed grave concern to individual countries over their claim for unilateral development activities in the disputed waters. It was deemed that such actions seriously violated the spirit of the DOC, undermined mutual trust and regional peace and stability. The meeting urged relevant parties to exercise high restraint, properly handle with relevant issues through bilateral channels in accordance with the principles outlined in the declaration, and refrain from any actions that may complicate the situation.
The parties spoke highly of the positive progress made in the COC consultations, exchanged views on the second round of reviewing the COC text, and expressed their hope to conclude the consultations by the end of 2021.New maritime practical cooperation projects were reviewed and confirmed and the DOC implementation plan for 2016-2021 was also updated at the meeting.
Earlier October 13 to 14, various parties also held the 30th meeting of the ASEAN-China Joint Working Group on the implementation of the DOC.
