ASEAN Reasserts Commitment To Peaceful South China Sea Resolution, Early Conclusion Of COC

KUALA LUMPUR, May 27 (Bernama) -- ASEAN leaders have reasserted their unwavering commitment to upholding peace, stability, and freedom of navigation in and overflight above the South China Sea, amid rising concerns over regional maritime tensions.

In a Chairman’s Statement issued today following the conclusion of the 46th ASEAN Summit held under Malaysia’s 2025 ASEAN Chairmanship theme ‘Inclusivity and Sustainability’, the leaders reiterated the need to maintain a rules-based regional order and called for all parties to exercise maximum restraint and avoid any activities that could escalate disputes or threaten peace and stability in the contested waters.

“We reaffirmed the importance of maintaining and promoting peace, security, stability, safety and freedom of navigation in and overflight above the South China Sea,” the statement read.

The regional bloc also emphasised the critical importance of fostering mutual trust and confidence among claimant states and other stakeholders.

ASEAN leaders urged all parties to avoid provocative actions that could complicate the situation and instead pursue peaceful means to resolve disputes, in full respect of legal and diplomatic processes, and in accordance with internationally recognised laws, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

“We further reaffirmed the need to enhance mutual trust and confidence, exercise self-restraint in the conduct of activities that would complicate or escalate disputes and affect peace and stability,” it said.

The regional grouping also highlighted the need to avoid the threat or use of force and to uphold the integrity of international law as a guiding framework in all efforts to manage tensions and disputes in the maritime domain.

In addition, ASEAN leaders underscored the importance of fully implementing the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC), which serves as a political commitment to avoid aggressive actions and resolve disputes through dialogue.

They welcomed progress made in ongoing negotiations toward a long-anticipated Code of Conduct (COC) for the South China Sea, seen as a legally binding instrument to ensure peace and manage competing claims among regional powers, including China.

“We welcomed the progress in the ongoing negotiations on the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC),” ASEAN leaders noted, adding that the bloc remains committed to the early conclusion of an effective and substantive COC in accordance with international law, including the 1982 UNCLOS.

The summit also saw the leaders endorsing the Guidelines for Accelerating the Early Conclusion of an Effective and Substantive Code of Conduct in the South China Sea, calling for greater momentum in the negotiation process and continued engagement among parties.

ASEAN welcomed practical measures aimed at reducing maritime tensions and minimising risks of accidents, misunderstandings, and miscalculations, particularly in areas of overlapping claims and frequent military and coastguard encounters.

The leaders reaffirmed the importance of undertaking confidence-building and preventive measures to foster greater trust and transparency among parties involved in the South China Sea.

The statement concluded with a firm reiteration of ASEAN’s long-standing position on the need to uphold and respect international law, particularly the 1982 UNCLOS, as the universal legal framework governing the world’s oceans and maritime conduct.

-- BERNAMA