Kuching: The ASEAN-China Senior Officials' Meeting on the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC), scheduled here tomorrow, will also serve as a key platform to accelerate negotiations towards finalising a Code of Conduct (COC) for the disputed waters.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Foreign Ministry secretary-general Datuk Seri Amran Mohamed Zin stated that the main focus of the meeting is to ensure all parties continue to respect the principles agreed under the DOC, which form the foundation of good relations in the region. He emphasized the importance of intensifying negotiations to finalise the South China Sea Code of Conduct with a target of completion by or before July 2026. "We need to step up negotiations more aggressively and proactively so that the COC draft can be finalised according to schedule," he said after paying a courtesy call on Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg at Kompleks Satria Pertiwi.

The meeting, which brings together senior officials from ASEAN member states and China, is also part of efforts to strengthen regional ties and cooperation. Discussions will focus on measures to ensure peace, security, and prosperity in Southeast Asia. Amran highlighted that the South China Sea has increasingly drawn international attention, not only from ASEAN and China but also from countries outside the region, making close cooperation essential to maintain stability.

In a statement on Monday, the Foreign Ministry expressed that the meeting aims to further enhance the implementation of the DOC, originally signed on November 4, 2002, by ASEAN member states and China.