{"id":58228,"date":"2018-02-07T06:13:28","date_gmt":"2018-02-07T06:13:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.biphoo.com\/bipnews\/?p=58228"},"modified":"2018-02-07T06:13:28","modified_gmt":"2018-02-07T06:13:28","slug":"asean-hopes-to-expedite-code-of-conduct-on-south-china-sea-singapore","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biphoo.com\/bipnews\/world-news\/asean-hopes-to-expedite-code-of-conduct-on-south-china-sea-singapore.html","title":{"rendered":"ASEAN hopes to expedite code of conduct on South China Sea: Singapore"},"content":{"rendered":"

ASEAN hopes to expedite code of conduct on South China Sea: Singapore<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations is hoping to expedite negotiations on a code of conduct with China for the disputed South China Sea but it isn\u2019t realistic to expect an agreement within a year, Singapore\u2019s defense minister said on Wednesday.<\/span><\/p>\n

China and the 10-member ASEAN bloc adopted a negotiating framework on the code in August and have commenced talks on the code itself over the disputed and busy waterway largely controlled by China but also claimed by some ASEAN states.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe hope it will be expedited but it\u2019s a very, very complex issue,\u201d Singapore\u2019s Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen told reporters after a gathering of ASEAN defense chiefs.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a century\u2019s old dispute. Expecting (the code) in one year is just unrealistic,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n

ASEAN and China have hailed the conclusion of the negotiating framework as a sign of progress.<\/span><\/p>\n

However, the failure to outline as an initial objective the need to make the code legally binding raised doubts about the effectiveness of the pact.<\/span><\/p>\n

Signing China up to a legally binding and enforceable code for the waterway has long been a goal for claimant members of ASEAN, some of whom have sparred for years over what they see as China\u2019s disregard for their sovereign rights and its blocking of fishermen and energy exploration efforts.<\/span><\/p>\n

Singapore\u2019s Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan said on Tuesday some of his ASEAN colleagues had expressed concerns about ongoing activities by China in the disputed areas of the South China Sea, including land reclamations.<\/span><\/p>\n

Malaysia, Taiwan, Brunei, Vietnam and the Philippines all claim some or all of the South China Sea and its myriad shoals, reefs and islands.<\/span><\/p>\n

Singapore has taken over the role of chairing ASEAN for 2018 and hosted meetings of the group\u2019s foreign and defense ministers this week.<\/span><\/p>\n

Source:-\u00a0https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/article\/us-asean-singapore-defence\/asean-hopes-to-expedite-code-of-conduct-on-south-china-sea-singapore-idUSKBN1FR07V<\/span><\/p>\n

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