KUALA LUMPUR, July 19 (Sin Chew Daily) — China will continue with its efforts to resolve the overlapping territorial claims in South China Sea with Malaysia through bilateral negotiations, says Tang Tang, spokesperson of the Embassy of China in Malaysia.

Both Malaysia and China have their respective stand on the territorial claims in South China Sea issue. Based on friendly ties established for years, both countries have been in talks in a bid to work out their differences.

Tang Tang said China looked forward to enhancing collaboration with Malaysia and to resolve the disputes through bilateral talks.

The South China Sea Code of Conduct declaration would be implemented in full to maintain peace and stability in the region, he said.

China signed the declaration on the Conduct of the Parties in the South China Sea with Asean in 2002.

The declaration called for all parties to restrain from intensifying tensions of overlapping territorial disputes and drafted a set of guidelines as code of conduct.

The Auditor-General's Report revealed Chinese Coast Guard and fishing militia trespassed into Malaysian waters for 89 times. The presence of Chinese military vessels in Malaysia's exclusive economic zone caught the attention of the entire nation.

Former minister of foreign affairs Datuk Seri Anifah Aman and incumbent minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein were engaged in a spat over the issue.

On the following day after the Auditor-General's Report was released, Hishammuddin said no more encroachment of Chinese vessels into the Malaysian waters after he became the minister.

However, Anifah refuted Hishammuddin's claim and said a flotilla of Chinese enforcement vessels was sighted accompanying a Chinese survey vessel within Malaysian waters in April.

Hishammuddin then explained that he was referring to West Capella incident where a Chinese survey vessel, the accompanying Chinese Coast Guard and fishing militia were present in Malaysia's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) from April to May.

Anifah held the view that Hishammuddin had misled the public. He also questioned why the West Capella activities were never raised in press conferences and that the ministry did not announce its stand in public on the trespassing of Chinese vessels into Malaysian waters in April and May.