Philippines open to more agreements with China to keep peace in South China Sea, Asia News
KUALA LUMPUR — The Philippines is open to any additional agreements with Beijing that can help maintain peace in the South China Sea, its top diplomat said, amid unabated confrontations between them over disputed features.
The South China Sea, a conduit for about US$3 trillion (S$3.8 trillion) of annual ship-borne trade, remains a source of tension between China and US ally the Philippines, with ties at their worst in years amid frequent standoffs that have sparked regional concerns they could spiral into conflict.
The Philippines is vexed by the constant presence of China's coast guard in its exclusive economic zone, where both countries claim sovereignty over disputed features, including uninhabited sandbars, an atoll rich in fish stocks and a reef where Manila has troops stationed on a grounded navy ship.
"I'm not saying they (arrangements) will necessarily take place, but anything within the scope of diplomatic means or peaceful means or co-operation is certainly within our template," Manalo told journalists on the sidelines of an Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday.
Deals have been struck before, with the Philippines and China last year reaching a "provisional arrangement" for resupply missions to the grounded vessel at the Second Thomas Shoal after repeated flare-ups between rival vessels.
China has accused the Philippines of trespassing in its waters but denies allegations of aggressive conduct. Beijing has advocated for dialogue with Manila to manage disputes.
China claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, which includes parts of the EEZs of Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei and the Philippines.
The stakes are high in the event of a miscalculation between Beijing and Manila, with the United States bound by a 1951 mutual defence treaty to come to the aid of the Philippines in the event of any armed attack, including in the South China Sea.
Manalo said the Philippines was determined to see how it could speed up negotiations for a code of conduct between Asean and Beijing on the South China Sea.
All sides agreed in 2002 to draft a code but it took 15 years for them to initiate a process to start negotiations.
Asean Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn last week told Reuters all sides were committed to finalising the code by next year. The Philippines will chair Asean in 2026.
In remarks to Asean leaders on Monday, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr called for the adoption of a legally binding code to be accelerated.
"This is to safeguard maritime rights, promote stability, and prevent miscalculations at sea," Marcos said.
[[nid:718377]]
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
Slovak central bank chief Kazimir should not get another term, prime minister says
FILE PHOTO: Petr Kazimir, when Slovakia's Finance Minister, attends the Asian Financial Forum in Hong Kong, China January 15, 2018. REUTERS/Bobby Yip/File Photo Slovak central bank chief Kazimir should not get another term, prime minister says Slovak central bank governor and European Central Bank policymaker Peter Kazimir is not the right candidate to get another six-year term and the country's main ruling party will not back him, Prime Minister Robert Fico said. Kazimir was finance minister for Fico's SMER-SSD party in 2012-2019 but was close to Peter Pellegrini, who led a group that split away to form a new party called Hlas-SD in 2020. The two parties came together to form a government in 2023, but Fico has been at odds with Kazimir due to the party split. Kazimir, who's term as central bank governor expired on Sunday, was sentenced on Thursday to a 200,000 euro ($226,940) fine for bribery. The central bank chief, who has denied wrongdoing, has rejected the verdict and said he would appeal to a higher court. Fico, speaking at a news conference on Sunday, said he had labelled Kazimir as a "political traitor" because of his disloyalty to the SMER-SSD party not because of his conviction in the bribery case. Fico said he respected the right of coalition partner Hlas-SD to nominate the governor, under their coalition agreements. "I think that we have the right as a party (SMER-SSD) that will be important in the vote, to say if this person suits it or not," Fico said. "And we have a number of principal reasons that make us say that Peter Kazimir is not the right candidate for NBS governor. Hlas-SD must come up with someone else," he said. Slovak central bank chiefs are nominated by the government, approved by parliament and appointed by the president. Fico has criticised the judge over the Kazimir bribery ruling. The court has declined to comment. Under Slovak law, Kazimir can remain a governor unless there is a final conviction of a crime. He also stays in his post past the end of his term until a new governor is appointed. Kazimir has not said publicly if he was seeking a second term. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
Ukraine attacks Russian nuclear-capable bombers in Siberia
MOSCOW - Ukraine attacked Russian nuclear-capable long-range bombers at a military base in Siberia on Sunday, the first such attack so far from the front lines more than 4,300 km (2,670 miles) away, according to pro-Russian bloggers. Unverified video and pictures posted on social media showed Russian strategic bombers - whose purpose is to drop nuclear bombs on distance targets - on fire at the Belaya air base north of Irkutsk. Reuters was unable to immediately verify the footage but in Kyiv, a Ukrainian intelligence official told Reuters that Ukraine's domestic security agency, the SBU, conducted a large drone attack on over 40 Russian military aircraft. The Ukrainian source, speaking on condition of anonymity to Reuters in Kyiv, said the struck aircraft included Tu-95 and Tu-22 strategic bombers, which Russia uses to fire long-range missiles at Ukraine. Igor Kobzev, the governor of Irkutsk, said that there had been a drone attack on a military unit near the village of Sredny in the Usolsky district, but did not mention strategic aviation. In video that he posted on Telegram, drones could be heard flying overhead and a giant plume of smoke rising into the sky. He said, though, that it was the first such attack in that part of Siberia - and added that the number of drones in the attack was unclear. The drones, he said, had been launched from a truck. The Belaya, or Sredny, airbase is located near the village of Sredny, and hosts Tupolev Tu-22M supersonic long-range strategic bomber, according to open source details about Russia's armed forces. There was also a Ukrainian drone attack in the Murmansk region of northern Russia, according to local officials. The Olenya airbase, which also hosts strategic aviation, is located in the Murmansk region, according to open source data. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
Ukraine stages major attack on Russian aircraft with drones, security official says
Smoke rises above the area following what local authorities called a drone attack on a military unit in the Sredny settlement, in the course of Russia-Ukraine conflict in the Usolsky district of the Irkutsk region, Russia, in this still image from a video published June 1, 2025. Governor of Irkutsk Region Igor Kobzev via Telegram/Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVES. MANDATORY CREDIT. Ukraine stages major attack on Russian aircraft with drones, security official says KYIV - Ukraine conducted a large drone attack on Russian military aircraft on Sunday, a security official told Reuters, saying 40 Russian warplanes were struck. If confirmed, the strikes would be the most damaging Ukrainian drone attack of the war, and would be a significant setback for Moscow. The official said that the strikes were conducted by the SBU domestic intelligence agency, and that they had simultaneously hit four Russian military air bases on Sunday. The source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said more than 40 aircraft were hit, including Tu-95 and Tu-22 strategic bombers, which Russia uses to fire long-range missiles at Ukraine. Reuters could not immediately verify the assertions. The source shared video footage, saying it showed the strikes. The images showed several large aircraft, some of which appeared to be Tu-95 strategic bombers, on fire. Ukraine, which lacks Russia's vast arsenal of missiles, has instead built up a large fleet of attack drones which it has used to attack Russian military and oil facilities. Russia had proposed a fresh round of talks in Istanbul on Monday, but Kyiv has thus far neither confirmed nor denied that it will be attending. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
