Bilateral approach is effective in handling complicated

Bilateral approach is becoming an effective way in handling complicated and sensitive issues like border disputes including the South China Sea, Liu Zhenmin, China's Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs today said.
He said China has been able to sort boundary issues with its 12 out of 14 neighbours and "active negotiations" are on with India and Bhutan to seek early resolution to the issue.
The minister said in 2002, China and ASEAN countries signed Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea and according to Article 4 of the Declaration, the parties concerned undertake to resolve their territorial and jurisdictional disputes by peaceful means through "friendly consultations" and "negotiations by sovereign states directly concerned".

"This is a common undertaking by China and ASEAN countries. In accordance, to international law, Asian experiences and China's practice, we believe that bilateral approach is becoming an effective approach to handling complicated and sensitive issues as this fully respects the will of the countries concerned and sovereign equality between them.
"Moreover, the outcome of the negotiations are more acceptable to the people of those countries, can be implemented smoothly and therefore more lasting," Liu said.
He was speaking at the launch of the Exhibition of 'China-AALCO (Asian-African Legal Consultative Organisation) Exchange and Research Programme'.

The minister said through negotiations, China was able to sort land and delimited over 20,000 km of its boundary, accounting for 90 per cent of its land border.

"China maintains active negotiations with Bhutan and India to seek resolution to the boundary issue.
"Through negotiations, China and Vietnam have delimited their maritime boundary. China and Republic of Korea launched their negotiations on maritime delimitation in December 2015," Liu said.