From February 26 to 27, 2026, China and the ten ASEAN countries held the 52nd Joint Working Group Meeting on the Implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) in Singapore. The meeting was co-chaired by Tan Qingsheng, Deputy Director-General of the Department of Boundary and Ocean Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Adina, Director-General of the Department of Ocean Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Malaysia.
At the meeting, the parties continued to advance consultations on the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC), agreeing to accelerate the consultation process in accordance with the roadmap for the next stage of consultations, strive for an early conclusion of the COC, and jointly safeguard peace and stability in the South China Sea.
