China vows to work with ASEAN on being ‘good neighbors, friends’

China will work with the members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on being “good neighbors” and “good friends,” Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said on Monday.

Li issued the statement in his opening remarks during the 20th ASEAN-China Summit on the sidelines of the 31st ASEAN Summit in Pasay City, ahead of a possible announcement on the negotiations for a proposed South China Sea code of conduct.

“We are committed to working with ASEAN to be good neighbors, good friends, and good partners, and always stand together, rain or shine,” he said.

“We also commit to working with ASEAN to build a community of shared future featuring common ideals, common prosperity, and a common responsibility,” Li added.

Li also touted what he described as a “friendly relationship” between China and ASEAN member states.

Ahead of the summit, Duterte said he hopes the meeting will provide China and the ASEAN an opportunity “to assess the current status and chart the future direction of strategic partnership.”

ASEAN and China are expected to announce the start of negotiations for a proposed South China Sea code of conduct after the meeting.

A draft statement, seen by GMA News Online, hailed as an “important milestone” the adoption last August of the framework for a code of conduct (COC), which will guide the crafting of the document.

The ASEAN common statement on ASEAN-China Dialogue Relations said leaders are “pleased to announce that as a next step, ASEAN Member States have agreed to officially commence negotiations with China on the COC” and “trust that we will continue this positive momentum and work towards a substantive and effective” code.

A regional code of conduct aims to prevent conflicting territorial claims in the vast and potentially-oil rich region from erupting into violent confrontations or worse, an economically-devastating major conflict. Efforts to finalize the accord have dragged on for 15 years.

China claims virtually the entire South China Sea—a vital sea lane where oil and natural gas have been discovered in several areas. The Philippines refers to parts of the South China Sea as the West Philippine Sea. — VDS, GMA News