2 weeks Ago
VIENTIANE: Asean nations have called for an early conclusion of the Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea, says Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. “Asean reaffirms the importance of maintaining peace and stability in the South China Sea in accordance with recognised principles of international law, including the 1982 UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea). “It also calls for an early conclusion of the COC,” said Anwar when addressing the 27th Asean-China Summit at the National Convention Centre (NCC) in Vientiane, Laos, on Thursday morning (Oct 10).
Chinese Premier Li Qiang was also present. It was reported in March that the second reading of the COC had been completed, and it is now entering its third reading. The South China Sea has been a contentious issue in the region after China claims nearly the entire region, despite overlapping maritime claims by Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Brunei.
On Friday (Oct 10), the Philippines also criticised China’s alleged assault of Vietnamese fishermen in the South China Sea. There were concerns of an armed conflict after China and the Philippines were locked in numerous confrontations in the South China Sea. Meanwhile, Anwar said Asean and China have been each other’s largest trading partners since 2020 with trade amounting to US$696.
7bil last year. “Asean welcomes China’s support for energy transition efforts and encourages collaboration in emerging technologies like robotics and artificial intelligence. “Asean also welcomes the Joint Statement on Deepening Cooperation in the People-to-People Exchanges and welcomes China’s proposal to extend the Asean-China Year of People-to-People Exchanges to 2025,” said Anwar.
The 44th and 45th Asean Summits and Related Summits enters its second day on Oct 10. Anwar is also scheduled to attend the 25th Asean-South Korea Summit commemorating the 35th anniversary of Asean-South Korea Dialogue Relations. At around noon, Anwar is expected to receive a courtesy call from Prof Klaus Schwab, founder and executive chairman of the World Economic Forum (WEF), at the NCC.
On Thursday (Oct 10), Anwar is expected to attend several high-level meetings with top leaders, including Canadian Prime Minister Justine Trudeau, Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Later in the evening, Anwar, who is accompanied by Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan and Investment and Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz, will attend a Gala Dinner hosted by Laos Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone and his wife. The Summits will conclude on Friday (Oct 11) with Laos handing over the Asean chairmanship to Malaysia.
.
