PH renews push for long-elusive South China Sea ‘Code of Conduct’

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will push for the completion of the Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea by next year, or when Manila takes its turn as chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) and plays host to the regional bloc’s high-level meetings.

The president will also continue to uphold the Philippine sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction in the West Philippine Sea when he flies to Malaysia for the 46th Asean Summit being held in Kuala Lumpur, an official of the Department of Foreign Affairs said on Wednesday.

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“The president will continue to uphold and promote Philippine interests in Asean, such as deepening security and stability in the region, economic cooperation, and broadening engagement with dialogue partners,” Foreign Deputy Assistant Secretary Dominic Xavier Imperial said at a Palace media briefing.

“Furthermore, the president will continue to underscore the Philippines’ sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction in accordance with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the 2016 arbitral award,” Imperial added.

Marcos will also emphasize the importance of finalizing the COC to prevent a major conflict from erupting in the South China Sea, hopefully by 2026 or when the Philippines hosts the Asean Summit.

Last week, Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo said the Philippines would push for “intensified negotiations” on the COC with the goal of completing it in 2026.

A goal that has proven elusive for many years, the COC is aimed at preventing major conflicts in the South China Sea, which is being claimed almost entirely by Beijing. Parts of the strategic, resource-rich waterway are also being claimed by some Asean members—

Philippines, Vietnam, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia — and by Taiwan.

2-day summit

“Back in 2023, the foreign ministers of Asean agreed to fast-track discussions on the Code of Conduct ... The President certainly will push for it. He will raise this with the leaders of the Asean. Going back to that statement, it’s a reaffirmation of concluding it, hopefully among Asean and China,” Imperial said.

Marcos will be in the Malaysian capital for the summit on May 26 and May 27.

He is expected to attend nine engagements. Among them are the Asean Plenary Session and Retreat Session, leaders’ meetings with the Asean Business Advisory Council and the Asean Youth, the 16th Brunei, Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East Asean Growth Area Summit, the 2nd Asean Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Summit and the Asean-GCC-China Summit.

“The leaders are also expected to discuss various global issues that impact the region and beyond—this includes the situation in Myanmar, the United States’ new tariffs policy, and other geopolitical and geoeconomic challenges that affect the region,” he added.

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At least 22 outcome documents are expected from the summit, such as the Kuala Lumpur Declaration on the Asean Vision 2045, the Joint Statement of the 2nd Asean GCC Summit, and the Joint Statement of the Asean-GCC-China Summit.

The documents will discuss peace and security, maritime cooperation, economic cooperation, digital transformation in the Asean, artificial intelligence, people-to-people ties, and climate change, among others.

The President may also hold bilateral meetings with the state leaders of Laos, Vietnam, and Kuwait on the sidelines of the summit.

Trump tariffs likely discussed

There are no trade agreements tabled to be finalized in Kuala Lumpur, but Imperial said the new tariff policy of the United States under the second Trump administration would likely be discussed by the regional leaders.

“Of course, they are concerned (about the US tariffs). But at the same time, the region will not do a retaliatory measure. Instead, we will bolster the bilateral and multilateral engagements with the US so that we will have fruitful discussions with them,” he said, adding:

“Under the Asean framework, the president is very supportive of those nonretaliatory measures. We are going to do something that will be beneficial to all Asean member-states.”

The accession of Timor-Leste as an Asean member will also be on the agenda.

“That will be in the discussion of our leaders. We are following a roadmap for Timor-Leste to be able to accede to the Asean and we are following that ... But certainly, we are supportive of Timor-Leste joining the Asean,” he said.

Mr. Marcos is also expected to seek deeper Asean cooperation on the call for Myanmar to declare a ceasefire in the civil war raging in the junta-ruled nation since 2021.

The situation in Myanmar, particularly the humanitarian challenge it faced after being struck by a massive earthquake on March 28, was among the concerns discussed by the Philippine leader with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim when the latter visited Manila earlier this month.

(2025/05/23-05:40)