Tok Mat says South China Sea code talks nearly 90pc complete, Malaysia pushing for deal by this year

Nearly 90% of the proposed Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea has been agreed upon by Asean and China, according to Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan. Malaysia, as the country coordinator for Asean-China relations, is optimistic that negotiations will be concluded by the end of this year. The final stage of negotiations is said to be in progress, with several sensitive terms and provisions still requiring mutual agreement among the countries involved.

The three-year target for completing the COC negotiations will expire this year, with efforts focused on aligning the positions of the littoral states involved. Asean and China have intensified negotiations this year, holding monthly meetings to resolve outstanding issues, including the COC's legal status, geographical scope, and relationship with the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC).

Brief written by urgent.news from Malay Mail's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.