The signing ceremony of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea was attended by Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji.

In the declaration, China and ASEAN recognized the need to promote a peaceful, friendly and harmonious environment in the South China Sea between them for the enhancement of peace, stability, economic growth and prosperity in the region.

The declaration, the first political document concluded between China and ASEAN over the South China Sea issue, bears a positive significance for enhancing mutual trust between the two sides.

China and ASEAN reaffirmed their commitment to the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia and the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, the declaration said.

The two parties also reiterated their commitment to promoting a21st-century oriented partnership of good neighborliness and mutual trust and to safeguarding peace and stability in the South China Sea region, it said.

They stressed the determination to seek a peaceful settlement of the disputes over the South China Sea through friendly coordination and negotiation.

The declaration added that the parties concerned undertake to exercise self-restraint in the conduct of activities that would complicate or escalate disputes and affect peace and stability.

Pending the peaceful settlement of disputes, the parties concerned vowed to intensify efforts to seek ways, in the spirit of cooperation and understanding, to build trust and confidence between and among them, the declaration stressed.

(eastday.com November 5, 2002)