China-ASEAN South China Sea Code of Conduct Talks 70% Complete, Philippine DFA Says
Key Takeaways
- •China and ASEAN negotiators have completed roughly 70% of the South China Sea code of conduct talks, according to the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs.
- •The progress figure was disclosed by DFA spokesperson Dominic Xavier M. Imperial at the first official press briefing of the 49th ASEAN Summit, hosted by the Philippines under its chairmanship.
- •President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and local officials have repeatedly stated the goal of finalizing the code of conduct by year-end under the Philippine ASEAN chairmanship.
- •Negotiators are working on the remaining 30% of the agreement, but no estimate exists for how many meetings will be required to meet the year-end deadline.
- •Manila is pushing for the final document to reflect its position, guide the behavior of all parties, and respect the rights of third-party states that are not part of the negotiations.
Negotiations between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on a code of conduct (CoC) for the South China Sea are now 70% complete, the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said on Friday.
Speaking at the first official press briefing of the 49th ASEAN Summit, which the Philippines is hosting under its chairmanship, DFA Spokesperson for ASEAN Affairs Dominic Xavier M. Imperial said attention has turned to resolving the remaining 30% of the agreement.
“At the moment, we’re seeing a 70% completion of the negotiations, so we are at that stage,” Mr. Imperial told reporters. “[L]ooking at the remaining 30%, that will be up to our negotiators on how they will be able to complete that.”
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and various local officials have repeatedly said the Philippines’ ASEAN chairship intends to finalize the CoC by year-end. First affirmed in 2002, the code aims to reduce conflict in the strategically critical waters, which rank among the world’s busiest maritime waterways — an effort that has stretched more than two decades, with a final text still pending.
According to Mr. Imperial, negotiators are identifying ways to advance the talks, but there is currently no estimate for how many meetings will be needed to meet the year-end deadline, leaving the pace of the remaining 30% an open question as the summit gets underway.
While Manila remains committed to completing the framework, he added that it is equally important that the final document reflect the Philippine position on the issue and contain beneficial elements — signaling that, for Manila, speed and substance carry equal weight.
The spokesperson could not provide more specific details on the disagreeing provisions, emphasizing only that they would guide behavior in the South China Sea and uphold the rights of third parties, even those excluded from the negotiations — a point of relevance for countries that use the waterway but sit outside the talks.
“From the Philippine side, what we want to ensure is that the CoC will guide the behavior of all parties in the South China Sea and we are also pushing for the rights of third parties to be respected even if they’re not part of the negotiation,” Mr. Imperial said.
Reporting by Francesca S. Abalos; source: BusinessWorld
