NEGOTIATIONS between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on a code of conduct (CoC) in the South China Sea are now 70% complete, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Friday said.
In the 49th ASEAN Summit’s first official press briefing, DFA Spokesperson for ASEAN Affairs Dominic Xavier M. Imperial said their focus is on 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 CoC, aims to reduce conflict in the strategically critical waters, which is one of the world’s busiest maritime waterways.
According to Mr. Imperial, negotiators are identifying ways to progress negotiations but there is currently no estimate for the amount of meetings required to achieve the year-end deadline.
While Manila remains committed to completing the framework, equally important are the inclusion of its position on the issue and beneficial elements within the final document, he added.
The spokesperson could not provide more specific details on these disagreeing provisions. He emphasized only that they will guide behavior in the South China Sea and uphold the rights of third parties, even those excluded from negotiations.
“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. — Francesca S. Abalos
