ASEAN, China hold informal consultation on COC
VGP – The ASEAN-China Informal Consultation on the Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) was held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on July 8.
July 08, 2012 5:54 PM GMT+7
Vietnamese Deputy Foreign Minister Pham Quang Vinh and Chinese Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Fu Ying co-chaired the event during which ASEAN introduced the draft COC to Chinese counterparts.
This is the first time, ASEAN and China have held an informal consultation since the two sides agreed to adopt a more legally binding COC for the East Sea at the 20th ASEAN Summit in Phnom Penh, Cambodia in April 2012.
The COC is a step forward to legalize the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) reached by ASEAN and China in 2002.
The ASEAN-China Informal Consultation on the COC is part of a series of meetings, including the 45th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting and 19th ASEAN Regional Forum./.
By Hai Minh
