Magdaraos ang China at mga kasaping bansa ng Association of Southeast Asian Nation (ASEAN) ng 13th Senior Officials’ Meeting on the Implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) sa Agosto 16 sa Inner Mongolia Autonomous Regions.
Ayon kay Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying,dadalo sa pagpupulong si Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin at mga senior diplomatic official ng mga bansa sa ASEAN. Bago ang Senior Officials’ Meeting, inanunsiyo rin ni Hua na magkakaroon ng 18th Joint Working Group Meeting on the Implementations of the DOC.
“In keeping with the joint statement signed by the ministers of China and ASEAN countries on fully and effectively implementing the DOC, the Chinese side and ASEAN countries will continue with their discussion on implementing the DOC and moving forward negotiation on the code of conduct in the South China Sea (COC), sabi ng opisyal ng Chinese Foreign Ministry sa press briefing na ginanap sa Beijing, at ang transcript ay ipinaskil sa official website ng Chinese Embassy sa Manila.
Nilagdaan ng mga kasaping estado ng ASEAN at China ang DOC noong Nobyembre 2002 sa Cambodia matapos ang ilang taon ng mahabang negosasyon. (Roy C. Mabasa)
