US leaves South China Sea code talks to ASEAN, China - Asia & Pacific - The Jakarta Post

Asia & Pacific

ASEAN member states need to find consensus before having negotiations on the South China Sea with China, according to United States Ambassador to ASEAN Kevin Kim.

A man runs past national flags of ASEAN member states on May 5 outside a media center in Cebu, the Philippines, ahead of the 48th ASEAN Summit. (AFP/Ted Aljibe)

The United States has reaffirmed its support for ASEAN centrality in addressing the South China Sea dispute by leaving negotiations over the Code of Conduct (COC) in the contested waters between the bloc’s member states and China.At a roundtable discussion with journalists in Jakarta on Tuesday, US Ambassador to ASEAN Kevin Kim said the country would respect ASEAN’s consensus-based approach to regional diplomacy, including on sensitive issues, such as the South China Sea.

“We will always engage with ASEAN and its member states to ensure that the United States’ interests are protected. But fundamentally, the [South China Sea COC] is a discussion and negotiations between ASEAN and China,” Kim said in one of his first media engagements since assuming office.