By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Aug 13: Efforts to seek a collective direction in ensuring peace, security, and prosperity in Southeast Asia, particularly in strengthening cooperation with Malaysia and Sarawak on South China Sea issues, took centre stage as the 24th Asean-China Meeting of Senior Officials on the Declaration of the Code of Conduct (DOC) convened in Kuching this week.
The Premier of Sarawak Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg today welcomed a courtesy visit from Secretary-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dato’ Sri Amran Mohamed Zin, at the Satria Pertiwi Complex.
Amran said the visit was to extend appreciation to the Premier and the Sarawak government for graciously hosting the meeting, which is one of the key Asean-China platforms at the senior officials’ level to reinforce collaboration on South China Sea matters.
“This meeting is pivotal in ensuring all parties work together towards maintaining peace, security, and prosperity in the region, while strengthening cooperation on South China Sea issues,” he said in a Sarawak Public Communication Unit (Ukas) news report after the courtesy call.
He emphasised that the discussions do not focus on maritime boundaries or jurisdictional disputes, but on two key priorities of ensuring continued respect for the principles enshrined in the DOC, and advancing negotiations to finalise the Code of Conduct (COC) on the South China Sea.
“We have set a target to conclude the COC negotiations by July 2026. The deadline is drawing closer, and negotiation efforts need to be stepped up more aggressively to ensure the draft COC is finalised on schedule,” he added. — DayakDaily
