No. 76/2557

On 21-22 April 2014, Thailand, as Country Coordinator for ASEAN-China Dialogue Relations, will host the 20^th ASEAN-China Senior Officials’ Consultation (20^th ACSOC) at the Dusit Thani Pattaya Hotel, Chonburi Province. The meeting will be held back to back with the 7^th ASEAN-China Senior Officials’ Meeting on the Implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (7^th ASEAN-China SOM on DOC). Mr. Sihasak Phuangketkeow, Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs of Thailand, and Mr. Liu Zhenmin, Vice Foreign Minister of China, will co-chair the Meetings.

At the 20^th ACSOC, ASEAN-China Senior Officials will review progress of cooperation under the ASEAN-China framework in the past year, seek ways and means to ensure effective implementation of the outcomes of the 16^th ASEAN-China Summit in October 2013 and exchange views on directions of cooperation on the basis of strategic partnership, particularly to promote trade and investment, upgrade the ASEAN-China Free Trade Agreement, enhance China’s role in the development of regional connectivity, expand maritime cooperation and organize activities to commemorate the ASEAN-China Cultural Exchange Year. 

At the 7^th SOM on DOC, ASEAN Senior Officials will follow up on the outcome of the last meeting in Suzhou, China, in which ASEAN and China had started official consultation on the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC). The Meeting will deliberate on the positive developments of the 10^th ASEAN-China Joint Working Group on the DOC (10^th JWG on the DOC) held in March 2014 in Singapore, and provide policy guidelines for the works of the JWG both in the implementation of the DOC according to its work plan for 2014 and in the COC consultation.

Both Meetings serve as important platforms to lay necessary groundwork for the upcoming ASEAN Post Ministerial Conference with China, in August 2014 and the 17^th ASEAN-China Summit in November 2014 in Myanmar.