At the meeting, participants agreed to foster co-operation in all fields, implement the action plan in 2016-2020 period, and the upcoming ASEAN-China Summit in Laos in September. Regarding East Sea related issues, the ASEAN ministers stressed the importance of maintaining peace, stability and security on the East Sea.
Speaking at the event, Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Binh Minh stressed the role of ASEAN-China strategic partnership in maintaining peace, stability and prosperity in the Pacific-Asia region. He suggested implementing the Action Plan by focusing on trade and investment, environment and climate change, agriculture, and food and water safety, especially in the Greater Mekong Sub-region. He expressed his concern on the complicated situation on the East Sea and its consequences.
The Deputy Prime Minister also called for co-operation between ASEAN and China in resolving East Sea related issues by peaceful methods and based on international laws including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea in 1982, effectively implementing the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), and pushing the establishment of the code of conduct (COC).
