(VNA) - Vu Ho, Deputy Director-General of the ASEAN Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs joined other ASEAN and Chinese senior officials in marking the 10th anniversary of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) in Phnom Penh yesterday. Addressing the event, Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Hor Namhong said the workshop is an opportunity for ASEAN and China to exchange ideas on how to keep the DOC alive in dealing with the current situation in the East Sea. He said signing the DOC at the level of foreign ministers meant that ASEAN and China were committed to settling disputes in the East Sea through peaceful means. The Cambodian top diplomat added that the two sides should fully implement the DOC by identifying concrete activities to further their mutual interests and by engaging in discussions on a step-by-step basis for the eventual adoption of the Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC).

The celebration of the DOC's 10th anniversary (Photo: Vietnamplus)

Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Fu Ying said the two-day workshop was a rare opportunity to enhance mutual trust, promote cooperation, and safeguard peace and stability in the East Sea. She said China is committed to a full and effective implementation of the DOC, suggesting that the two sides should work toward the eventual adoption of a COC in a gradual way.