Senior officials from China and the ASEAN nations vowed on Thursday to fully and effectively implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC).

The 12th Senior Officials' Meeting on the Implementation of the DOC, co-chaired by Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin and Singapore's Permanent Secretary of Foreign Ministry Chee Wee Kiong, was held in Vietnam's northern Halong City.

All parties vowed to continue to fully and effectively implement the DOC, deepen practical maritime cooperation and jointly safeguard peace and stability in the South China Sea.

The officials discussed the proposal that foreign ministers of China and the ASEAN nations issue a joint statement on the full and effective implementation of the DOC, and agreed to strive to reach a consensus at an early date.

"There are divergences among South Eastern Asian countries, and also between China and these countries, on South China Sea issues. But there is one consensus reached by all sides, that is, peace and stability in the South China Sea must be maintained. We also agreed to ensure the freedom of navigation in this region, and to further implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea in a more effective and comprehensive way. Although some countries may have different opinions on that, they are not mainstream ideas," said Chinese vice foreign minister Liu Zhenmin.

On the consultations of the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC), the 11 parties promised to implement relevant early harvest measures as soon as possible and speed up the formulation of a guideline for the Hotline Platform among senior officials of ministries of foreign affairs between China and the ASEAN nations in response to maritime emergencies.

They also discussed better use of the Code for Unplanned Encounters at Sea in the South China Sea.

All parties reaffirmed their aspirations for an early conclusion of the COC on the basis of consensus, and vowed to boost maritime cooperation, enhance mutual trust, and jointly safeguard peace and stability in the South China Sea as well as prosperity and development in the region.