Still no progress on South China Sea code of conduct after ASEAN Summit, Marcos says

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, November 14) — President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. said on Monday there is still no progress on Southeast Asian leaders' attempts to finalize a code of conduct in the South China Sea, which will determine the only allowable actions countries can take in the disputed waters.

Marcos arrived in the Philippines early Monday morning after meeting with several world leaders at the 40th and 41st Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summits and Related Summits in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

While en route to the summit, the Philippine president told reporters he hoped to discuss the West Philippine Sea issue with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping and other leaders in Southeast Asia to renew the push for a code of conduct.

But despite the conclusion of the event, Marcos reported that no progress has been made on the pressing issue.

"Nothing new actually has happened in terms of the Code of Conduct. We all just restated over and over again. Kailangan na magkaroon ng Code of Conduct [We need to have the code of conduct]," he said in his arrival speech.

He added, "It is urgent. It is becoming more and more urgent and we really should — the negotiations and the finalization of the Code of Conduct. There’s been some progress in the past year but we really need to have the actual code of conduct, already finalized and already in place as soon as possible."

Marcos also said ASEAN member countries and China agreed that everyone must follow the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and international law.

ASEAN has been pushing for a legally binding code for decades to reduce the risk of conflict in the South China Sea. But critics have noted the slow progress in the talks due to resistance from China.

China insists on its sweeping claims over the resource-rich South China Sea, which includes the West Philippine Sea. This is despite a 2016 ruling of an arbitral tribunal in The Hague which recognizes Manila's sovereign rights in its exclusive economic zone that Beijing contests.

Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Vietnam also have overlapping claims in the waterway.

Earlier, Marcos vowed he would assert the country's rights and talk to China "consistently with a firm voice" regarding the issue.

Meanwhile, the President also relayed that the ASEAN members affirmed the "One China" policy, a diplomatic acknowledgment that Taiwan is a part of China.

"Sinasabi namin, we are still following the One China Policy. We just want peace. ‘Yun ang aking ano — sinasabi ko. We follow the One China Policy. It’s an internal matter. We believe that Taiwan is part of China but you must resolve those issues peacefully. ‘Yun lang naman ang hinihingi ng ASEAN. Huwag magkagulo," he shared.

[Translation: We said we are still following the One China Policy. We just want peace. The One China Policy is an internal matter. We believe that Taiwan is part of China but you must resolve those issues peacefully. That is what the ASEAN is asking for — that there be no conflict.]

US President Joe Biden has repeatedly said American military personnel would defend Taiwan if the Chinese military were to launch an invasion of the democratically ruled island.