From August 19 to 21, 2026, China and the ten ASEAN Member States held the 57th Meeting of the ASEAN‑China Joint Working Group on the Implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (JWG‑DOC) in Manila, the Philippines, to further advance consultations on the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC). The meeting was co‑chaired by Deputy Director‑General of the Department of Boundary and Ocean Affairs of the Foreign Ministry Tan Qingsheng and Director General of Maritime Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Malaysia Adina Kamarudin.