ASIATODAY.ID, JAKARTA — Indonesian lawmaker Rachmat Gobel has called on countries involved in the South China Sea dispute to intensify dialogue and accelerate negotiations on a long-awaited Code of Conduct (COC), warning that prolonged tensions could undermine regional stability, trade, and economic growth across Southeast Asia.
Gobel, a member of Indonesia’s House of Representatives overseeing trade affairs, said diplomacy remains the most effective path to managing competing maritime claims in one of the world’s busiest and most strategically important waterways.
“As a friendly nation, Indonesia encourages all parties involved in the South China Sea dispute to pursue dialogue as the primary avenue for resolving differences,” Gobel said in a statement released on Friday.
The South China Sea is a critical maritime corridor through which roughly one-third of global maritime trade passes each year, making stability in the region a matter of global economic importance. Overlapping territorial and maritime claims involving China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan have made the waterway one of the Indo-Pacific’s most closely watched geopolitical flashpoints.
Gobel said negotiations on the ASEAN–China Code of Conduct should be guided by mutual respect and regional cooperation, arguing that a credible and effective agreement would help reduce tensions, prevent miscalculation, and strengthen confidence among regional stakeholders.
He also echoed remarks by the Philippine foreign minister, who said concluding the Code of Conduct is important not only for claimant states but also for the broader international community.
According to Gobel, preserving stability in the South China Sea has become increasingly important as conflicts in other parts of the world continue to disrupt global trade, supply chains, and financial markets.
“Maintaining peace and stability in Southeast Asia will help safeguard regional commerce, sustain economic growth, and strengthen ASEAN’s resilience amid rising geopolitical uncertainty,” he said.
Although Indonesia is not a claimant in the principal territorial disputes in the South China Sea, Gobel said Jakarta can continue playing a constructive diplomatic role by promoting dialogue and, if necessary, facilitating communication between ASEAN member states and China to help advance a peaceful and mutually acceptable resolution. (AT Network)
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