The 12th ASEAN-China senior officials’ meeting on the implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) will take place in Vietnam’s Ha Long City on June 9.
The routine meeting aims to foster the implementation of the DOC and the building of a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC).
At present DOC remains the most important legally-binding document between ASEAN and China in resolving security challenges in the East Sea.
The Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) was signed at the ASEAN summit on October 4, 2002, in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
DOC signatories agree to abide by international norms including to peacefully resolve disputes, not use or threaten to use armed force, respect the freedom of navigation, practice restraint in order not to complicate or escalate disputes, engage in dialogues and consultation, and contribute to the compilation of a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC).
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