Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan’s Written Reply to Parliamentary Question on Progress of the Negotiation and Finalisation of the Code of Conduct for the South China Sea, 10 May 2023

10 May 2023

QUESTION

 

Mr Gan Thiam Poh: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs whether he can provide an update on the progress of the negotiation and finalisation of the code of conduct for the South China Sea that is being drawn up by ASEAN and China.

 

REPLY

 

In-person negotiations on the Code of Conduct (COC) for the South China Sea had resumed last May, after delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Negotiators are currently on the second reading of the draft text. Singapore will continue to work towards an effective and substantive COC that is in accordance with the universally recognised principles of international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and that safeguards the rights and interests of all parties in the South China Sea.

 

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MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

SINGAPORE

10 MAY 2023

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