PHNOM PENH, Oct 5 (NNN-AKP) – Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister, Hor Namhong, called on outsiders to avoid “provocation” over the South China Sea issue, saying that, any disputes should be peacefully settled by parties directly concerned.
Noting that, through many years of serious negotiations, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and China, are now working on the draft of the Code of Conduct (COC), to boost cooperation between parties directly concerned to deal with relevant disputes, Namhong said that countries outside the region should encourage ASEAN and China to reach the COC.
Namhong recalled that Cambodia successfully promoted the signing of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) by ASEAN and China in 2002, when Cambodia was the ASEAN’s chair.
Namhong also said, he welcomed the Chinese government’s statement in July, 2016, which said that “China stands ready to continue to resolve relevant disputes peacefully through negotiation and consultation with the states directly concerned, on the basis of respecting historical facts and in accordance with international law.”
“I think one should appreciate this 2016 Declaration, in which the Chinese government commits itself to respecting and upholding the freedom of navigation and overflight enjoyed by all states under international law in the South China Sea,” he said.– NNN-AKP
