The 8th Senior Officials' Meeting on the Implementation of the DOC Held in Thailand

(October 29, 2014, reported by Chang Tiantong and Yang Yunyan)

The 8th Senior Officials' Meeting on the Implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) was held in Thailand on October 28 and 29, co-chaired by Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin and Undersecretary Sihasak Phuangketkeow of Foreign Affairs of Thailand, and attended by senior officials of ASEAN and its members.

Participants of the meeting affirmed the dual-track approach in dealing with the South China Sea issue, that is countries directly related shall seek a peaceful resolution of the South China Sea issues through friendly consultations and negotiations, and the peace and stability of the South China Sea shall be safeguarded by both China and ASEAN member states. All parties recognized the significance of the full and effective implementation of the DOC to the peace and stability of the South China Sea, applauded progress of cooperation in various spheres made in the framework of implementing the DOC, and spoke highly of the consultations of a Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC). 

The Consultation principles, including "seeking consensus", "in an order of difficulty", and "agreement via negotiations" were backed by all participants, which aimed at a consensus on a COC at an early date with accumulating consensus on the basis of negotiations in a gradual manner. 

All parties agreed on the "early harvest" outcomes, including the ratification of the First File of Consensus on a COC consultations, the introduction of the Hotline Platform on Search and Rescue among China and ASEAN member states and Hotline Communications among Senior Officials of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of ASEAN member States and China in Response to Maritime Emergency, the China-ASEAN Joint Simulation Exercise of Maritime Rescue, the application of satellites in the South China Sea navigation and rescue. The Plan for Implementing the DOC (2014-2015) was ratified by the meeting.