Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Wednesday proposed in Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur three initiatives to maintain peace and stability of the South China Sea.
Wang made the proposals at a press conference after he met with foreign ministers from 10 ASEAN countries at the ongoing ASEAN foreign ministers' meeting.
The first initiative is that countries in the South China Sea pledge to implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC)in a comprehensive, effective and complete way, accelerate consultations on formulating a Code of Conduct (COC) for the South China Sea and actively discuss " precautionary measures for maritime risk management and control," Wang said.
Second, countries outside the region pledge to support the above-mentioned efforts by countries in the region, and do not take actions that may cause tension and complexity in the region.
Third, countries pledge to exercise and safeguard their freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea in accordance with international law, the Chinese foreign minister noted.
