Wang Yi: Shoulder Joint Responsibilities to Maintain Peace and Stability in the South China Sea

On October 29, 2018, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Foreign Secretary Teodoro Lopez Locsin of the Philippines jointly met the press after their talks in Davao. A journalist asked about the Chinese side’s expectations and opinions on the future situation in the South China Sea.

Wang Yi expressed that in these years, every time I met with Philippine friends, we would talk about the South China Sea issue. But now we feel completely different. Under the guidance of the leaders of China and the Philippines, the situation in the South China Sea is becoming stable and sound through the efforts of the two sides. The countries involved return to the right track of properly resolving disputes through dialogue and consultation. China and the countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have jointly maintained peace and stability in the South China Sea. This month, China and the Philippines held a series of bilateral meetings concerning the South China Sea issue. The first round of review on the draft of the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC) has recently been completed at China-ASEAN senior officials’ meeting on a new round of implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of the Parties in the South China Sea (DOC). It can be said that the negotiation on the COC has entered a fast lane. As a country coordinator for the China-ASEAN relations, the Philippines has played an important and positive role in this negotiation, for which the Chinese side appreciates.

Wang Yi noted that peace and stability in the South China Sea conform to the common interests of all countries in the region, and are our common aspirations and joint responsibilities we should shoulder. In the next step, we stand ready to work with the ASEAN countries including the Philippines to make great efforts in the following aspects to further consolidate the current sound momentum.

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