President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. hailed the latest developments in negotiations for a Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea held in Manila a few weeks ago, which he said was in accordance with international law.
“We are pleased that at the last negotiations on the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC) held in Manila a few weeks ago, that some progress was made in discussing the milestone issues and a preliminary review of the Single Draft Negotiating Text (SDNT),” President Marcos said in his intervention during the 26th Association of the Southeast Asian Nations-China (ASEAN-China) Summit.
The President addressed other Asean leaders and Chinese Premier Li Qiang during the 26th Asean-China Summit. The new Chinese Premier delivered his country’s statement during the Summit.
“The early conclusion of an effective and substantive COC that is in accordance with international law, including the 1982 UNCLOS, remains the goal for ASEAN and for China,” he added.
Malaysia and Singapore also pushed for the finalization of the COC during the Asean-China Summit.
President Marcos also emphasized that universal multilateralism is the only recourse for all stakeholders in an interconnected and interdependent world in a context set against a backdrop of geopolitical challenges and macroeconomic fragilities.
Also during his intervention, Marcos said the ongoing ASEAN-China Free Trade Area 3.0 upgrade negotiations will encourage stronger ties between ASEAN and China, saying it’s the hope that the regional bloc has identified and leveraged complementarities between China’s initiative and the ASEAN outlook on the Indo-Pacific.
President Marcos also underscored the need to enhance ASEAN connectivity and supply chain, stressing that among the priority areas of the AOIP, maritime cooperation is especially significant to the Philippines as an archipelagic nation.
“We must emphasize that practical cooperation in the maritime domain can only flourish with an enabling environment of regional peace, security, and stability, anchored in international law,” he pointed out.
“The Philippines therefore continues to uphold the primacy of the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea as the framework within which all activities in the seas and oceans are conducted. We once again reaffirm our commitment to the rule of law and peaceful settlement of disputes,” he added.
Marcos also cited the importance of the opportunity to reaffirm and build on relations under the framework of the ASEAN China comprehensive strategic partnership as this year marks the 20th anniversary of China’s accession to the treaty of amity and cooperation in Southeast Asia. PND
