20/01/2014
Following China's imposition of a new fisheries law, officials of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have expressed concern over the recent developments in the South China Sea, the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said.
During a retreat in Bagan, Myanmar, the DFA said ASEAN "foreign ministers expressed their concerns on the recent developments in the South China Sea."
The statement came after China imposed a new law that bans the entry of foreign vessels in Beijing-claimed areas in the disputed South China Sea.
Earlier, China also unilaterally imposed an air defense identification zone (ADIZ) over disputed waters in the East China Sea.
But during the retreat, the DFA said the ASEAN foreign ministers "reaffirmed" the ASEAN's Six-Point Principles on the South China Sea and the "importance of the maintenance of peace and stability, maritime security, freedom of navigation in and overflight above the South China Sea."
They also called on all parties to resolve disputes by "peaceful means" in accordance with international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and also urged "continued self-restraint in the conduct of activities."
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