VIENTIANE, July 25 (Xinhua) -- Secretary-General of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Le Luong Minh on Monday hailed a joint statement between ASEAN and China.
The statement reaffirms their efforts to fully and effectively implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC)" to promote peace, stability, mutual trust and confidence in the region."
"ASEAN is for peaceful resolution of disputes ... and that ASEAN reaffirms its resolve to work with China," the secretary-general said to media during the ASEAN foreign ministers' meeting held here in the Lao capital.
Minh also said the Philippines did not request the mention of an ill-founded ruling concerning the South China Sea in a communique issued by ASEAN foreign ministers.
The ruling was rendered on July 12 by an ad hoc tribunal over the South China Sea arbitration unilaterally initiated by the Philippines.
China has dismissed the biased ruling as "null and void with no binding force."
"The Philippines did not ask for ASEAN to have a position on the case between them and China," Minh said. "They did not ask ASEAN to take a position."
