Latest news with #DeclarationontheConductofPartiesinthe
Barnama
3 days ago
- Politics
- Barnama
Sarawak Premier Stresses Need To Safeguard Peace In South China Sea
KUCHING, Aug 13 (Bernama) -- Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg has urged ASEAN and China to maintain stability and foster constructive cooperation in the South China Sea to ensure continued peace and prosperity in the region. Speaking at a gala dinner held in conjunction with the 24th ASEAN-China Senior Officials' Meeting on the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) here tonight, Abang Johari said the meeting symbolised a collective commitment to safeguard the region. 'This region is our shared home and together we have the responsibility to ensure it remains a sea of peace and prosperity,' he said.
Asia News Network
6 days ago
- Politics
- Asia News Network
Philippines hopeful ASEAN, China to adopt South China Sea code of conduct in 2026
August 11, 2025 MANILA – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will seize the opportunity next year when the Philippines chairs the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) for the region to finally adopt a legally binding 'conduct of conduct' (CoC) for the South China Sea after more than two decades of discussions. The President will push the agenda in 2026 when Manila hosts the Asean Summit meetings, saying the CoC would pave the way for the peaceful resolution of overlapping territorial disputes in the region. 'We will certainly try because it is very, very important,' Marcos said in the final part of the third episode of his podcast aired on Friday. He was asked what bigger and more concrete steps his administration could do to advance the conclusion of the CoC. 'When that happens, it will be clear what the rules are for everyone, not just the Philippines,' the President said. 'Every nation around the South China Sea can say that—no more of this, no more of that, no more of a collision, no more of building new islands—which was the intention of the original code of conduct. It (the CoC) will make it very clear of what is expected of each signatory country, he added. For Marcos, the CoC would make things 'a bit easier' for countries around the South China Sea. More so for the Philippines, whose West Philippine Sea—a part of the South China Sea which is within the exclusive economic zone of Manila — remains a flashpoint of armed conflict in the region. In 2002, the Asean and China signed the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DoC) that promises to 'enhance favorable conditions for a peaceful and durable solution of differences and disputes among countries concerned.' Decades on however, claimant countries have not arrived at a solution for any of the dispute, with coercive and provocative acts racked up into serious tensions. Countries, especially the Philippines, have since pushed for a CoC not only to overcome the DoC's weaknesses but also address new challenges since 2002. In the case of the Philippines, the DoC did not stop China from seizing control of Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal in 2012 after a tense standoff with the Philippine Navy. The Philippines in 2013 brought an arbitral case against China before the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague, Netherlands. Three years later, the international tribunal upheld the Philippines' sovereign rights to fish and exploit resources within its 370-kilometer exclusive economic zone and rejected China's sweeping claims over practically the entire South China Sea. Beijing, however, has refused to acknowledge the ruling, claiming it has sufficient historical and jurisprudential basis. Apart from the Philippines and China, other Asean members Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei also have overlapping claims over the South China Sea. Major conflict Since the start of the Marcos administration in 2022, the Philippines has called on Asean members and China about the need to expedite the adoption of the CoC to prevent a major conflict in the South China Sea. 'We underscore the urgent need to accelerate the adoption of a legally binding code of conduct on the South China Sea. This is to safeguard maritime rights, promote stability, and prevent miscalculations at sea,' President Marcos said during a plenary session of the 46th Asean summit in Malaysia in May. The President also clarified that there is no change in the Philippines' position in asserting its sovereignty in the West Philippine Sea. This was after Marcos said in his fourth State of the Nation Address (Sona) that the foreign policy of the Philippines shall be 'a friend to all, and an enemy to none.' In his first Sona in 2022, President Marcos underscored that his government would never give up a single inch of its territory to foreign aggressors. 'There is no shift in tone,' he said. 'It did not change because continuing to defend strongly our territory is not mutually exclusive from being a friend to all and an enemy of none.' 'We are not fighting with anyone. We treat everyone as our friend but we will assert the Philippines' sovereignty. We will fight for our territory. You can do both, you don't have to choose one or the other,' the President explained. Open lines Marcos also underscored the need to maintain an open line of communication with other claimant countries. The President made the response when asked about criticisms that Manila resorted to filing diplomatic protests as response to Beijing's dangerous maneuvers and harassment of local fishermen and government personnel in the West Philippine Sea, only for China to repeat its actions. 'We can only control what we do. We cannot control what other countries do,' he admitted. The government keeps its lines of communication always open, the President said: 'Because once these are closed, then there is no room for improvement.' 'Some will allege that it is useless, but we have to keep on trying. But we cannot just shut it down. If we do so, it will only worsen the situation,' he added. /cb
The Star
11-05-2025
- Politics
- The Star
China urges relevant countries stop stirring up trouble in South China Sea - 'area, in fact, is very stable and there's no trouble'
MANILA/BEIJING (Xinhua): China firmly opposes the recent joint sea and air patrol in the South China Sea by the Philippines, the United States and Australia and their hyping up of the event, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson has announced. Spokesperson Lin Jian made the remarks while responding to a relevant query at a daily news briefing. Lin said the current situation in the South China Sea is generally stable, with no issues regarding the freedom of navigation and overflight enjoyed by countries under international law. Activities conducted by countries in the South China Sea should adhere to international law and the spirit of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC), and must not target third countries and jeopardize regional peace and stability, he added. "The Philippines, violating international law and the DOC, has frequently made infringements and provocations and stirred up troubles at sea," Lin said, adding that it has sought to collude with external forces to disrupt peace in the South China Sea, showing off military power and serving as a pawn, which will ultimately backfire. Lin pointed out that certain extraterritorial countries, including the United States, have been assembling small circles in the South China Sea, engaging in confrontation in the name of cooperation, showing off military strength under the guise of freedom, and creating chaos in the name of order, posing the greatest risk to peace and stability in the region. China has been firm in maintaining its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests and has worked with regional countries to uphold peace and stability in the South China Sea, Lin noted. "We advise relevant countries to cease forming cliques and stirring up trouble in the South China Sea and to stop undermining regional peace and stability," he added. - XInhua
