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Manila Times (2 November 2018)

The United States Navy is pushing for the Code of Conduct between Southeast Asian countries and China to prevent any miscalculations in the South China Sea.

Admiral John Richardson, US Navy chief of naval operations, said in a telephonic press conference that Washington will welcome the drafting of the Code of Conduct, which is considered as a “very positive development.”

“These codes of conduct serve to, as I said before, with this operational arrangement, the Code for Unplanned Encounters at Sea (Cues), they serve a tremendous benefit in terms of providing for safe and professional passage (in) high seas,” Richardson said, noting that the US Navy and the Chinese Navy had been sailing in the same waters.

Richardson explained that it was “not uncommon” for Washington and Beijing to encounter each other in high seas.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) and China have not concluded the formation of the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea.

In August, Singapore Minister of Defense Ng Eng Hen urged Asean and China to conclude the formation of the Code of Conduct for maritime stability and maintenance of centrality.
Richardson, meanwhile, highlighted the importance of understanding freedom of navigation, since it is being used to contest maritime claims.

The South China Sea is being claimed in whole and in part by China, Taiwan, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam.

https://www.manilatimes.net/us-navy-pushes-asean-sea-code/460877/