China and ASEAN to hold a meeting on South China Sea issues

Beijing. June 25. Silkroadnews - The 15th meeting of senior officials to implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea will be convened on Wednesday in Changsha Province, Hunan Province, Xinhua reports.
Vice Foreign Minister of the People’s Republic of China Kong Xuanyou and high-ranking diplomats from the ASEAN countries will attend the meeting, Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said. Before the meeting, the 24th meeting of the Joint Working Group on the Implementation of the Declaration will be held. China and the ASEAN countries will continue to discuss various issues, including the implementation of the declaration, maritime cooperation and negotiations on a code of conduct in the South China Sea, Geng said.
He said that thanks to the joint efforts of China and other countries in the region, the situation in the South China Sea has stabilized and remains positive.
All the parties will continue their efforts to enhance dialogue, cooperation and further progress, Geng also added.
The declaration, signed in 2002 by China and the ASEAN countries, sets out the most important principles of dispute management in the South China Sea. Consultations on this code began in 2013 and are aimed at ensuring peace and stability in the region.