Asean unity offers fresh momentum for South China Sea conduct, says expert

New Straits Times

10-07-2025

KUALA LUMPUR: For the first time, Asean is presenting a united front in pushing for the long-delayed South China Sea Code of Conduct (CoC), an initiative aimed at easing tensions in the disputed waters.
Nusantara Academy for Strategic Research senior fellow Dr Azmi Hassan said this show of unity underscores the challenges in finalising the CoC, even after 15 years of negotiations.
"The framework for the CoC was agreed upon a few years ago, but it stopped there; it was not a full agreement.
"The Foreign Minister (Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan) said Asean is confident that an effective and substantive CoC can be concluded in the near future time and this reflects how difficult it is to reach an agreement in this particular case.
"This is also the first time, under Malaysia's chairmanship, that the CoC has a real chance of being concluded," he told the New Straits Times today.
Earlier, Mohamad, in his keynote address at the Asean Post Ministerial Conference with China, said the economic bloc is confident that an effective and substantive CoC can be concluded, in the not-too-distant future, with the full commitment of all parties in negotiations.
Mohamad also said the bloc welcomed the progress of the CoC and expressed hope for continuous positive momentum.
Last year, Mohamad said Malaysia, together with Asean member states, is negotiating the CoC framework with China to prevent conflict in the South China Sea.
The framework aims to maintain peace while respecting individual territorial claims and is developed without prejudice to the territorial and maritime claims of each nation.
The negotiations are carried out by Asean member states and China through the Asean Joint Working Group, the Asean-China Joint Working Group on the Implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, and the Asean-China Senior Officials Meeting on the implementation of the DOC.
Malaysia serves as the co-chair in negotiating the draft COC.
Commenting further, Azmi said that while Malaysia, the current Asean chair, is likely to see the CoC finalised during its tenure, the document could be accelerated during the Philippines chairmanship.
"With China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi and other key players attending the AMM, Malaysia can help build momentum.