On 19-21 August 2026, Mr. Vathayudh Vichankaiyakij, Acting Director-General of the Department of ASEAN Affairs, led the Thai Delegation to the 57th Meeting of the Joint Working Group on the Implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (JWG-DOC), held in Manila, the Philippines and co-chaired by Malaysia, Country Coordinator for ASEAN-China Dialogue Relations, and China. The Meeting continued the negotiations on the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC) towards its conclusion by the targeted timeline of 2026.