MANILA, Philippines – Negotiations between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and China on a proposed Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea are now 70 percent complete, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Friday, November 13.
DFA spokesperson Dax Imperial said the remaining 30 percent involves significant issues that negotiators must resolve before an agreement can be finalized.
“So what I can tell you is that these remaining issues that are being discussed are important to how the agreement should come about,” Imperial said.
He emphasized that the Philippines is pushing for a COC that would effectively regulate the conduct of all parties operating in the disputed waters.
“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,” Imperial said.
The Philippines is also seeking provisions that would protect the rights of third-party countries, including those not directly participating in the negotiations.
“We are also pushing for the rights of third parties to be respected, even if they’re not part of the negotiations,” he added.
Imperial stressed that these provisions remain essential to the Philippine position as discussions continue.
“We want to make sure that those elements will matter when the COC negotiation is continued,” he said.
The proposed COC aims to establish rules governing the behavior of countries in the South China Sea, where overlapping territorial and maritime claims have fueled tensions.
ASEAN and China have been negotiating the agreement for years, with discussions focusing on its scope, implementation and mechanisms for managing disputes.
Despite the reported progress, Imperial did not provide a definite timeline for completing the remaining provisions.
The Philippines has consistently pushed for an effective and legally binding COC that respects international law, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
