Philippines doubles down on 2026 target for South China Sea Code of Conduct
KUALA LUMPUR : The Philippines wants Asean to do everything in its capacity to conclude the long-delayed Code of Conduct (CoC) for the South China Sea by 2026, its foreign secretary Maria-Theresa Lazaro said today.
Speaking on the sidelines of the 58th Asean Foreign Ministers' Meeting, Lazaro said the 2023 declaration by Asean foreign ministers to complete the CoC within three years showed clear political will, and that momentum must be sustained.
She said her country believed 'we should do everything in our capacity' to finish the Code of Conduct, together with China, in 2026 in accordance with the decision made by the foreign ministers in 2023. She added that this was also the view of most, if not all, Asean member states.
Asked if a political or non-legally binding version of the code should be considered, Lazaro said the Philippines was 'not of the mindset'.
'The Philippines is of the view that we should continue discussing the important details of the code of conduct,' she reiterated.
Progress on the code has been lagging, with the Philippines, one of the frontline states, being increasingly vocal about the importance of ensuring a substantive and legally binding agreement.
China's claims over the South China Sea are disputed by the Philippines, Vietnam and Malaysia.
With Manila set to chair Asean in 2026, the year the bloc aims to finalise the CoC, some observers have speculated that the Philippines' more confrontational stance towards Beijing could complicate negotiations.
But Susannah Patton of Australia's Lowy Institute said expectations of the chair's influence might be overstated.
'It is important in terms of setting an agenda, convening and so forth, but ultimately it remains a group that's based on consensus, and so underlying dynamics continue to be more important than the role of any one individual chair,' she said.
Joanne Lin of the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute echoed that view, saying broader economic and strategic interests would ultimately guide Asean's posture, regardless of who held the chairmanship.
'Asean is also going to adopt a plan of action with China (the 2026 to 2030 plan of action), and that's going to come with a lot of forward-looking, emerging areas of cooperation, trade and investment that Asean really needs at this point in time,' she said.
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