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Talks on South China Sea code seen to start within the year

August 6, 2017 | 9:10am

Talks on South China Sea code seen to start within the year

The foreign ministers of China and the member states of the Association on Southeast Asian Nations approved the framework for a code of conduct in the South China Sea on Sunday. File photo

MANILA, Philippines (Updated 5:30 p.m.) —China and the 10 countries of the Association of South East Asian Nations have adopted the framework for a code of conduct in the South China Sea, paving way for negotiations on the code itself

China Foreign Minister Wang Yi first made the announcement on Sunday afternoon, which was later confirmed by Department of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Robespierre Bolivar in a separate press briefing.

“Eleven foreign ministers agreed upon and adopted the code of conduct framework draft,” Wang said through an interpreter.

Wang made the confirmation during a press briefing after China’s ministerial meeting with foreign ministers of the ASEAN.

He said China proposed a three-step initiative on the South China Sea code.

DFA spokesperson Bolivar said that the foreign ministers agreed on the three-step process but said that he could not go into detail when asked how the adoption of the framework would affect reclamation and militarization in disputed parts of the South China Sea.

He added that the text of the framework on the code of conduct would not be made public because of the sensitive nature of the document.

He also said the elements of the framework will be the basis for negotiations later this year.

China claims a large portion of the South China Sea, including part that Manila claims and calls the West Philippine Sea.

The Philippines brought the dispute to arbitration and a Hague-based court ruled in 2016 that China's nine-dash-line claim has no basis in international law. The arbitral tribunal also said that China violated Philippine rights by barring access to Scarborough Shoal — also called Bajo de Masinloc and Panatag Shoal by the Philippines — a traditional fishing ground for Filipino and Vietnamese fishers.

Aside from the Philippines, ASEAN members Brunei, Malaysia, Indonesia and and Vietnam have claims over parts of the South China Sea.

Three-step process

China said that the first step is to start the consultation on the text of the code of conduct within the year.

Wang also said that the second step is to implement the code of conduct and have a discussion with other ASEAN nations.

“By the end of this month during the joint working group meeting on the implementation of code of conduct, all the parties will discuss the thinking, principle and plan for the next stage consultation of the code of conduct and we will build a consensus between China and ASEAN countries with necessary appropriations for that,” China's foreign minister said.

The third and final step, China said, is considering the start of consultations on the code of conduct by November this year, during the ASEAN leaders’ meeting in Clark, Pampanga.

Wang however said there would be a precondition for the official start of the code of conduct consultations.

“When the situation in the South China Sea is generally stable, if there is no major disruption from outside parties,” he said.

In July, China said the regional bloc should unite against regional outsiders who do not want stability in the area.

"If there are still some non-regional forces or forces in the region that don't want to see stability in the South China Sea and they still want to stir up trouble in the South China Sea, we need to stand together and say no to them together," Wang told reporters during a press briefing in Manila then.

'Foreign ministers have positive attitude on South China Sea issue'

For Wang, the ministerial meeting on Sunday afternoon showed foreign ministers’ positive attitude on issues in the South China Sea. He said that the situation is “different with really tangible progress” from last year.

“From what I gathered during my meeting with the 10 foreign ministers, what I felt is that the 10 foreign ministers have displayed positive attitude including the issue of South China Sea,” Wang said.

“The foreign ministers recognized the valuable progress we have made in the past year, thanks to the considerate efforts and we all recognize that we need to cherish the positive momentum in the South China Sea,” he added.

China refused to comment on the positions of individual nations regarding the South China Sea issue.

On Saturday, Foreign Affairs spokesperson Robespierre Bolivars and Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano mentioned that the Philippines would prefer a legally binding code of conduct for South China Sea.