South China Sea Efforts Enhanced

Introduction

The consultation process for the Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea started in 2013. The COC is considered an upgraded version of the Declaration on Conduct of the Parties in the South China Sea (DOC), which was signed by China and ASEAN countries in 2002. The Joint Working Group for the Implementation of the Declaration on Conduct of the Parties in the South China Sea (JWG-DOC) is in charge of drafting the COC. On May 27, the JWG-DOC held its third ad-hoc online meeting since the start of 2021. The increase in the frequency of JWG-DOC meetings indicates enhanced efforts by the countries concerned.

The full publication is available on China-US Focus’s website.