[1/2]A Philippine supply boat sails near a Chinese Coast Guard ship during a resupply mission for Philippine troops stationed on a stranded warship in the South China Sea, October 4, 2023. Portal/Adrian Portugal/File Photo Acquire Rights
- The Philippines approaches Malaysia and Vietnam by code
- The situation in the South China Sea has become “even worse” – Marcos
- Due to the tensions, the Philippines must work with its Marcos allies
MANILA, Nov 20 (Portal) – The Philippines has reached out to neighbors such as Malaysia and Vietnam to discuss a separate code of conduct for the South China Sea, its president said on Monday, citing limited progress in forging a broader regional pact with China .
Relations between the two have become more tense under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who has increasingly complained about China’s “aggressive” behavior while rekindling close ties with the Philippines’ sole treaty partner, the United States.
At a livestreamed event in Hawaii, Marcos said escalating tensions in the South China Sea would force the Philippines to work with allies and neighbors to maintain peace in the busy waterway as the situation is now “even worse.”
“We are still waiting for the China-ASEAN code of conduct and unfortunately progress has been rather slow,” Marcos said, citing efforts by the grouping of Southeast Asian nations.
“We have taken the initiative to reach out to the other countries around ASEAN with which we have existing territorial disputes, including Vietnam and Malaysia, and establish our own code of conduct.”
“Hopefully this will continue to grow and expand to other ASEAN countries.”
The embassies of China, Malaysia and Vietnam in Manila did not immediately respond to a request for comment on a possible code.
China said formulating a code of conduct in the South China Sea is an important task for China and ASEAN countries.
But a State Department spokesman warned at a regular news conference: “Any step that deviates from the framework and runs contrary to the spirit of the Declaration on the Conduct of the Parties (DOC) in the South China Sea is null and void.”
Marcos’ comments followed his meeting on Friday with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum in San Francisco.
After a series of confrontations this year, leaders discussed ways to ease tensions in the disputed strategic waters.
In recent years, ASEAN and China have worked to create a framework for negotiating a code of conduct, a plan that dates back to 2002. However, despite commitments from all parties to advance and accelerate the process, progress has been slow.
ON-OFF CONFRONTATIONS
Discussions on components of the code have yet to begin, and there are concerns about the extent to which China, which claims ownership of most of the South China Sea, will abide by a binding set of rules that ASEAN states will bring in line with existing international law want.
China asserts its claim on its maps through the use of a “nine-dash line” that extends up to 1,500 km (900 miles) south of its mainland and into the exclusive economic zones (EEZs) of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam.
Manila and Beijing have been in constant confrontation for years as China has become increasingly assertive in asserting its maritime claims, alarming neighbors and other nations operating along the important trade route, such as the United States.
China has converted submerged reefs into military installations equipped with radar, runway and missile systems, some within the Philippines’ EEZ.
“The closest reefs where the People’s Liberation Army has begun to show interest … for building bases have come closer and closer to the Philippine coast,” Marcos said, referring to China’s People’s Liberation Army Navy.
“The situation has become worse than before.”
In response, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said: “China’s construction activities on its own territory fully fall within China’s sovereignty, and other countries have no right to make irresponsible remarks.”
Marcos added that the United States “has always stood behind us… not only in terms of rhetoric but also in terms of concrete support.”
Additional reporting by Mikhail Flores and Liz Lee in Beijing; Edited by Martin Petty and Clarence Fernandez
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