Philippines Seeks Support from Neighbours to Develop South China Sea Code

Philippines seeks Malaysia and Vietnam to create a new agreement on the South China Sea – Marcos

Tensions are escalating, compelling the Philippines to seek partnerships with allies – Marcos

MANILA, Nov 20 (Reuters) – The President of the Philippines announced on Monday that the country has approached neighboring nations such as Malaysia and Vietnam to initiate discussions about a distinct code of conduct regarding the South China Sea, given minimal progress in reaching a broader regional pact with China.

Under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, relations with China have become increasingly strained, with the President expressing concerns about China’s “aggressive” behavior while strengthening ties with the United States, the Philippines’ sole treaty ally. Marcos spoke at a livestreamed event in Hawaii, highlighting the urgent need to form alliances with neighbors and allies to uphold peace in the South China Sea, stating that the situation is now “more dire.”

“We are still waiting for the code of conduct between China and ASEAN and the progress has been rather slow unfortunately,” Marcos said, referring to efforts by the Southeast Asian nations. “We have taken the initiative to approach those other countries around ASEAN with whom we have existing territorial conflicts, Vietnam being one of them, Malaysia being another and to make our own code of conduct. Hopefully this will grow further and extend to other ASEAN countries.”

The Chinese, Malaysian, and Vietnamese embassies in Manila did not immediately respond to requests for comments on the potential code.

China has emphasized that formulating a code of conduct in the South China Sea is crucial for both China and ASEAN countries. However, the Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson cautioned that any actions deviating from the framework and contradicting the spirit of the declaration on the conduct of parties (DOC) in the South China Sea would be considered null and void.

These latest remarks by Marcos come following his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in San Francisco, where they discussed ways to de-escalate tensions in the disputed waters.