ASEAN secretary-general optimistic on concluding South China Sea Code of Conduct

China and ASEAN are stepping up negotiations to finalize a South China Sea Code of Conduct (COC), with the ASEAN secretary-general expressing an optimistic outlook that an effective agreement rooted in international law could emerge by the year's end.

As frictions persist and outside powers continue to run joint exercises in the water, the region is closely watching the progress of the talks.

In an exclusive interview with CGTN released on Sunday, ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn broke down where the negotiations stand, aligning the Code of Conduct with international law, as well as his vision of turning the South China Sea into a "sea of peace, friendship and cooperation."

"On the issue of the South China Sea, we have been working together for some time. Since we had the Declaration on the Conduct in the South China Sea, the DOC, which, of course, in the early phase we focused on how we can build confidence between the two sides on the one hand, and also to implement practical activities in order to raise the level of confidence between the two sides," said Kao.

"We have already been accelerating the negotiations on the Code of Conduct so that this Code of Conduct will help to minimize potential issues and also address any issues that may arise now and in the future. I think, ultimately, what we need to do is to have an effective and substantive Code of Conduct which is in line with our aspiration that it will be agreed upon through the current negotiations. And we want to make sure that the COC will be in line with international law, [including] the 1982 UNCLOS, on the one hand. But at the end of the day, we want to make sure that both sides will see the benefit of ensuring that the South China Sea remains a sea of peace, friendship and cooperation," he said.

"Of course, there is still a lot of work that remains, but we have come a long way in securing the Code of Conduct, with the current accelerating of the negotiations by convening monthly meetings. I still believe that we should be able to conclude the COC within this year. We count on the commitment on both sides to continue to stay focused and resolve differences," the secretary-general underscored.

ASEAN secretary-general optimistic on concluding South China Sea Code of Conduct

Health officials in Gaza warned Saturday of a severe health crisis in the enclave, with critical shortages of medicines, equipment and ambulance services threatening hundreds of thousands of patients.

Mohammed Abu Afash, director of the Medical Relief Organization in Gaza, said the health system has not received promised medical convoys since the ceasefire, leaving a critical shortage of medicines and equipment, with medical testing supplies deficit exceeding 87 percent.

He noted that over 24,000 patients with chronic conditions lack proper care, and that many of the more than 300,000 hypertension patients have suffered serious complications due to interrupted treatment.

With summer heat intensifying, he warned of rapidly spreading infectious diseases in crowded displacement camps.

Meanwhile, Gaza-based health authorities said in a statement that 70 percent of ambulance vehicles are out of service due to direct targeting, mechanical failures and lack of spare parts, warning that the continued ban on the entry of tires and spare parts could paralyze the transportation system.

The deteriorating situation drew condemnation from Fatah official Munther al-Hayek, who, in a radio interview, described the situation as "a full-fledged war led by the United States through Israel."

The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas has been in effect since Oct 10, 2025.

Gaza's health system faces severe crisis as medicine, ambulance services dwindle: officials