Deeper economic cooperation between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations will hinge on whether a code can be laid down to govern maritime territory and activity in the South China Sea, Philippine leader Ferdinand Marcos Jnr has said.
“We cannot institutionalise any of those things until the code of conduct is finalised,” he told a press conference on Friday at the close of the 48th Asean summit in Cebu, when asked about aspects that held the most potential in relations between the bloc and Beijing.
The code – under negotiation since 2002 between Asean and China – aims to reduce tensions in the disputed waterway by setting rules for maritime behaviour and crisis management. Talks have repeatedly stalled over the years amid tensions over territorial claims and competing national interests between Beijing and some Asean states, most notably the Philippines.
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On Friday, Marcos reiterated that one of the Philippines’ aspirations as Asean chair was to finalise the code by the end of the year before Singapore takes the helm for the bloc.
He stressed that the move was difficult because Asean member states had different approaches when it came to Beijing.
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“We have to incorporate all of that into one single document, which is the code of conduct, so once we have that, then all those questions will be answered,” he said.