China, ASEAN South China Sea meetings scheduled

BEIJING - China and the Association of Southeast Asia Nations (ASEAN) will hold meetings on implementing the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) this weekend, China's Foreign Ministry announced Tuesday.

Ministry spokesman Hong Lei specified at a regular press conference that the gatherings would be the sixth Senior Officials' Meeting and the ninth Joint Working Group on the implementation of the DOC.

China and the ASEAN finished drafting the DOC in 2002, outlining the most important principles in the management of disputes on the South China Sea.

Hong said that participants in the weekend's meetings will have in-depth exchanges of views on full and effective implementation of the DOC and enhance maritime cooperation

China and the ASEAN achieved consensus recently to push for consultations to develop a more detailed Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC). In a June meeting in Brunei, Chinese and ASEAN foreign ministers reiterated "the need to steadily move toward the conclusion of a COC on the basis of consensus."

Hong added that the new meetings will also involve "official consultations on the COC within the framework of the implementation of the DOC."

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said he is confident that both China and its ASEAN neighbors will be able to safeguard peace and stability in the South China Sea after the meetings.