Myanmar to rally Asean consensus on Code of Conduct

YANGON – Myanmar will rally peers in the Southeast Asian region including the Philippines to support a Code of Conduct (COC) on the South China Sea when it leads the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) next year as chairman.

Deputy Information Minister Ye Htut said the South China Sea issue would be on the agenda of ASEAN next year with Myanmar as chair.

However, Ye Htut said Myanmar would ensure it strikes a balance so that the concerns of both parties are addressed.

“It takes both sides to tango. ASEAN is our friend. China is also a friend. We want to see an agreement within our chairmanship,” Ye Htut told Southeast Asian journalists here.

China and ASEAN countries have agreed to work on the COC within the framework of the implementation of the Declaration of the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has said.

China is open to talks but believes there is no need to rush as some countries may have unrealistic expectations, Wang has been quoted as saying.

In the past, China and ASEAN members have attempted to jumpstart discussions on a COC but initial talks have bogged down.

Myanmar, which just recently ended half a century of military rule, is preparing for its chairmanship of ASEAN next year.

In ASEAN, the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia, Brunei, Vietnam are all claiming stakes in the South China Sea.

In the Philippines, the South China Sea issue has slowed down exploration businesses in disputed areas.

Forum Energy Plc., a United Kingdom oil and gas exploration company with focus on the Philippines, for one, has been unable to commence drilling in its main project in Sampaguita oil field in Recto Bank, which is part of the disputed area.

China has refused to acknowledge the diplomatic protests filed by the Philippines.