But Jakarta also insisted that the meeting had focused on ensuring that any initiatives peripheral to the drafting of the COC document would utilize existing ASEAN-led mechanisms, including the East Asia Summit (EAS).

Last week, the first round of COC negotiations under Indonesia’s ASEAN chairmanship took place at the 38^th meeting of the ASEAN-China Joint Working Group on the Implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (JWG-DOC). 

The meeting saw senior diplomats from Southeast Asian nations and China mull over the long-awaited COC, which refers to a decades-old unfinished framework aimed at preventing an open conflict by establishing clear guidelines for nations operating in the contested waters.

China has made sweeping claims over the South China Sea, which conflict with other claims by several contiguous ASEAN member states, as well as Taiwan.

On Tuesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said that several agreements had been reached during the COC talks in Jakarta, skipping out on any indication of differences previously mentioned by Jakarta.

“[China and ASEAN member states] agreed to carry out multiple practical cooperation projects in [fields including] marine scientific research, environmental protection and search and rescue operation at sea,” said Wang, according to a readout of a press conference that day.

“[They also agreed] to step up dialogue and communication and deepen mutually beneficial cooperation and jointly uphold peace and stability in the South China Sea.”

Indonesia’s Foreign Ministry took a slightly different slant, saying that negotiators were still unable to give a clear timeline on when the COC would be concluded and that disagreements were still rife in the latest talks.

“There were differences of opinions expressed during the JWG-DOC, [...] which reflected the geopolitical landscape of today,” said Sidharto Suryodipuro, the ministry’s director general for ASEAN cooperation, after the talks on Friday.

“Indonesia does not see the need to make those opinions uniform, [as long as] ASEAN partners can affirm ASEAN centrality and use its platforms,” he added.

Additionally, “existing mechanisms” in the South China Sea were discussed, the senior official said, with an emphasis on intensifying negotiations further.

Sidharta made special mention of the EAS, saying it was an essential piece of ASEAN’s diplomatic primacy in the region and adding that all stakeholders should commit to discussions regardless of their opposing views.

“The support for ASEAN centrality must be manifested within the geopolitical context. Southeast Asia has provided a platform unlike any other,” he said.

Both China and Indonesia’s statements suggested that more COC talks were on the horizon for this year, though Sidharta added that there was no guarantee any upcoming documents would be legally binding. At the moment, a greater emphasis was being placed on ensuring the framework was “effective, substantive and actionable”.

“One of our greatest challenges is preventing the COC from simply being a document that is agreed upon for the sake of agreeing. [...] The concept of it being legally binding is a populist sentiment, [but] the practical aspect must be considered too,” he explained.

Goodwill required

With China’s rivals grouping together and bolstering defense budgets and capabilities, as embodied by Monday’s update on the Australia-United Kingdom-United States (AUKUS) security partnership, experts warned that if Beijing failed to honor its commitment to conclude the COC, it would push regional partners away.

Dafri Agussalim, an international relations expert from Gadjah Mada University (UGM), said it was very likely the negotiations were “tense” in nature, despite China’s statement not acknowledging any hiccups.

He also said it was “very rational” for Indonesia to push the use of ASEAN-led mechanisms such as the EAS to buttress the COC negotiations.

“Of course, the EAS would still face its own challenges, but to involve all the countries in the talks can advance progress,” he told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.

The EAS is among the most important groupings in the region, where leaders of Southeast Asian countries and their external partners, including the US and China, meet to discuss pressing regional issues such as the South China Sea dispute.

Dewi Fortuna Anwar, a senior international relations expert at the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), said it was in China’s best interest to resolve the issue and cooperate sincerely with ASEAN, as a failure to convince Southeast Asian nations to become trustworthy partners would be counterproductive to its global agenda.

“The world will watch China very closely. If it threatens or acts in a way that endangers regional stability, it will push [away] Southeast Asian countries, which want to be more or less neutral,” told the Post.

“China should not overplay its power or be too assertive. It should solve the COC quickly and behave.”

It remains unclear when the next round of COC talks will take place, though the next ASEAN summit in May will likely see leaders advance the dialogue.

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