Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (6th L) poses with ASEAN foreign ministers during the China-ASEAN Ministeral Meeting at Myanmar International Convention Center (MICC) in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar, Aug. 9, 2014. [Photo/Xinhua]

China's proposal of a "dual-track" approach on the South China Sea issue was confirmed at the 12th China-ASEAN Meeting. The "dual-track" approach means that any relevant dispute will be addressed by the countries directly concerned through friendly consultations and negotiations and in a peaceful way. And for issues like the South China Sea, peace and stability should be jointly maintained by China and the ASEAN countries.

The "Dual-track" approach conforms to the Declaration on the Code of Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC). In 2002, China and the ASEAN countries signed the DOC, which is a political document that helps buildi trust, resolve disputes, strengthen cooperation, and maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea. The fourth declaration in the DOC stipulates that the parties concerned undertake to resolve their territorial and jurisdictional disputes by peaceful means, without resorting to the threat or use of force, through friendly consultations and negotiations by the sovereign states directly concerned.