ASEAN will intensify efforts to conclude a code of conduct in the South China Sea under Malaysia’s chairmanship amid growing concerns from some members about land reclamation activities there, Malaysian Foreign Minister Anifah Aman said yesterday.
“The ministers instructed senior officials to intensify efforts towards achieving the full and effective implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) and work vigorously towards the early conclusion of the Code of Conduct (COC) on the South China Sea,” Anifah said at a press conference at the end of the annual ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Retreat held in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia this year.
Malaysia is hosting ASEAN-wide meetings this year as it holds the grouping’s chairmanship for 2015. While it is a claimant in the South China Sea disputes, it is known for adopting a traditionally quieter approach relative to Vietnam and the Philippines.
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