Indonesia insists on continuing negotiations on the South China Sea

Indonesia insists on continuing negotiations on the Code of Conduct of the parties in the South China Sea (CoC), which were postponed due to the pandemic, Antara reports. This statement was made by the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Indonesia, Retno Marsudi, at an informal online meeting of foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Negotiations have reached an impasse because the pandemic has resumed, because we believe that the code of CoC will contribute to the creation of favorable conditions in the South China Sea, said Retno Marsudi. Cooperation should always be a priority, not rivalry, the Foreign Minister of Indonesia emphasized. In 2020, ASEAN and China plan to hold four meetings in Brunei, the Philippines, Indonesia and China to discuss the Code of Conduct of the Parties in the South China Sea. According to the news agency, the Chinese authorities invite partners, including Indonesia, to promote and strengthen the New Silk Road cooperation project.