China has agreed to work with its Southeast Asian neighbors to protect marine and coastal biodiversity in the South China Sea. The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) recently released a copy of the declaration on a 10-year coastal and marine environment protection in the South China Sea signed by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The declaration, which sets 2017 to 2027 as the Decade for Protection of Coastal and Marine Environment in the South China Sea, was among the documents approved in the recently concluded ASEAN Summit and Related Meetings in Manila last week.

Mateo, J. (2017, November 19). China, Asean sign 10-year pact on marine protection. The Philippine Star, p. 9.