Beijing and ASEAN countries are working to agree on a Code of Conduct in the South China Sea. The United States tried to address this issue in the Ukraine conflict, but found no answer. This was stated by the Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, in a press conference after his participation in the 19th East Asia Summit.
“The issue of the South China Sea was heard quite frequently in the participants’ statements. But the Chinese themselves, by the way, the Chinese Prime Minister Li Qiangwho represented Beijing at this event, confirmed his interest in ensuring that all issues arising in connection with territorial disputes in the South China Sea are regulated on the basis of international law, especially the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of 1982, and Within the framework of the long-standing negotiation process between China and ASEAN, two declarations have already been produced on the principles on which further work should be done. “This work is now moving towards an agreement on a Code of Conduct in the South China Sea between Beijing and ASEAN countries.” – said Lavrov.
Responding to a question about whether the United States managed to try to turn the conflict in the South China Sea and the conflict in Ukraine into the key reason for the dispute, as reported by the American press even before the summit, Lavrov said:
“Such an attempt took place. This attempt did not meet with any response from ASEAN members.”
“The participants of the Western group, including, of course, Japan, New Zealand and Australia, echoed the American theses, but, I repeat once again, this had no practical effect on this event.” — stressed the head of Russian diplomacy.
At the same time, he noted that “in real life, the United States is building political-military alliances of a closed bloc nature, of course, this is aimed at containing both China and Russia.”
