TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Vietnam's Defense Minister, Phan Van Giang, stated that the Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea, a document negotiated for over two decades between ASEAN member countries and China, is likely to be adopted by the end of 2025 or early 2026.
"I believe we will adopt the Code of Conduct for the East Sea, also known as the South China Sea, at the end of 2025 or the beginning of 2026," Phan said at the 22nd Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on Saturday.
According to Phan, every member country of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), regardless of whether it has a coastline, needs to thoroughly review and study the draft COC, even if the review process takes time.
"The more time invested in examining and aligning documents like this, the more effective the results will be," he commented.
Previously, in April, Philippine Foreign Minister Enrique Manalo also reaffirmed that ASEAN countries along with China, are politically committed to adopting the COC before 2026.
Phan emphasized that the existence of the COC would facilitate ASEAN and China in resolving disputes in the South China Sea directly and peacefully.
"We need to adopt this mechanism as soon as possible because it will be far more effective in quelling conflicts compared to the current situation," he asserted.
He also mentioned that the COC is the result of a joint consensus requiring contributions from all ASEAN members and China.
The Code of Conduct in the South China Sea is designed as a legal mechanism to resolve conflicts involving military and civilian ships between ASEAN countries and China.
Currently, China claims most of the sea area, while three ASEAN members, the Philippines, Vietnam, and Malaysia, also have overlapping claims with China's assertions.
ASEAN is a regional intergovernmental organization comprising 10 countries: Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, Brunei Darussalam, Singapore, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, and Myanmar.
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