'China won't South China Sea stability be disturbed'

China will never allow hard-won stability in the South China Sea to be disturbed or undermined again, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Wednesday.

The situation in the South China Sea has calmed down visibly due to the joint efforts of China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) countries, Xinhua news agency quoted Wang as saying.

He said the stability in the South China Sea is a blessing to the region and the world.

"If someone should try to make waves and stir trouble, they will have no support and face common opposition of the entire region."

According to Wang, China would like to see more maritime cooperation and greater trust between different parties.

"Even between China and the US, if we change our mindset, the vast ocean will become a broad stage of cooperation," he said.

The Declaration on the Conduct (DOC) of Parties in the South China Sea is being implemented in a full and effective way, and the concerned parties are returning to the right track of settling their disputes through dialogue and consultation, he said.

China and the Asean are advancing the consultation on the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC) to work out common regional rules.

Wang said China, the US and Russia should work together and pursue win-win outcomes. In the new era, the China-US-Russia relations should not be a "seesaw" game.

The three countries should work with, rather than against, one another and pursue win-win, rather than zero-sum, outcomes, Wang said.

--IANS

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