The South China Sea issue is one of the only global disputes being addressed through constructive dialogue, said an Indonesian foreign policy analyst on Wednesday in Jakarta, where the China-ASEAN Future Relations Forum is underway.
In an exclusive interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN), Dino Patti Djalal, Founder and Chairman of the Foreign Policy Community of Indonesia (FPCI), emphasized the importance of dialogue in promoting peace and said that the approach adopted by the claimants is a good sign.
"The South China Sea (dispute) is the only one of major conflicts where both sides are actually talking and sitting on the table. Russia and Ukraine are not talking. In the Middle East, Israel and Palestine are not talking. In the Korean Peninsula, the North and the South are not talking. But in the South China Sea, both sides of the dispute actually have been talking formally (on) the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea. And it's a good sign. I hope they can wrap up their work soon," said Djalal.
At the 26th ASEAN-China Summit in September 2023, the two sides adopted the Guidelines for Accelerating the Early Conclusion of an Effective and Substantive Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea. These guidelines set out a road map for the COC negotiations, including a timeline for concluding the agreement and a list of key issues to be addressed.
South China Sea issue globally unique in dialogue-based approach: Indonesian analyst
