MORE than ten years have passed but the Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea between China and members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has still not been developed.
The COC shall specify the embargoes of the countries claiming their share of the disputed territory.
According to an expert from the South China Sea Strategic Situation Probing Initiative, political power is necessary to hasten negotiations on the Code of Conduct.
“I think it is political will for all the ASEAN member states and China because they are the main parties of the COC negotiation,” said Dr. Lei Xiaolu, Deputy Director-South China Sea Strategic Situation Review Initiative.
Dr. Melissa Loja of the Integrated Development Studies Institute explained that the development of the COC is taking so long because the issues in the South China Sea are so extensive.
“It has been since 2013 up to the present that we have been negotiating because of the vastness of the South China Sea. Second, South China Sea activities are diverse. Third, there are many claimants and literal states, how many countries are there? Fourth, navigation is important – preserve in the waters of the South China Sea,” said Dr. Melissa Loja, Senior Research Fellow, Integrated Development Studies Institute.
Professor Loja added that the imposition of rules on the use of the South China Sea should be consistent with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea or UNCLOS.
“Any particular rules we impose on those who make use of the South China Sea. So that needs to be parallel or consistent with each other. At the same time, the national interests of each claimant state should at least be preserved or respected,” added Loja.
According to Dr. Yan Yan, in the last few weeks, there was a joint working group in Jakarta, Indonesia where the COC will be discussed again.
She said Indonesia is trying to speed up its development.
“A few weeks earlier, we have the latest working group meeting in Indonesia. And Indonesia has been, has this hope and trying to faster the process under their chair. I think Indonesia has been doing a great job,” said Dr. Yan Yan, Vice Director-South China Sea Strategic Situation Probing Initiative.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin also shared that Premier Li Qiang said in a conversation with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim that China is ready to speed up a consultation with Malaysia and other ASEAN countries regarding the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea to maintain peace in the said territory.
Other ‘foreign powers’ should not interfere in negotiations to avoid chaos –Expert
Meanwhile, Dr. Zheng Zhihua of Shanghai Jiaotong University emphasized that other ‘foreign powers’ must not interfere in the COC negotiation process.
He said it will only cause chaos if external powers interfere in the process.
“We should not allow external power meddle the process of negotiation.”
“Because the territorial dispute is very complex dispute. If we add more external facts elements into this dispute that make really chaos in the situation,” said Dr. Zheng Zhihua, Associate Professor and Head, East Asia Marine Policy Project.
“The COC is for the China and ASEAN members states to design the rules that we need in the region and for the region. So there’s no room for extra regional countries to play for the COC. That’s only for us,” said Dr. Yan Yan, Vice Director-South China Sea Strategic Situation Probing Initiative.
