Philippines asserts right in latest negotiations for South China Sea code of conduct

MANILA, April 15 ------ Another round of negotiations on the ASEAN-China Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea, was held from April 9 to 11, 2025, this time in Manila.

According to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), milestone issues were discussed, while the Philippines also voiced concerns about recent incidents in the West Philippine Sea (WPS). “The meeting was an opportunity for the Philippines to strongly call for the need to adhere to international law, particularly the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the 2016 South China Sea Arbitral Award,” the DFA said in a statement. “The Philippines voiced its concerns on the situation in the West Philippine Sea, especially with regard to recent incidents that posed risks to Philippine vessels and personnel, and actions by other countries that infringed on the Philippines’ sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction," it said.

Manila also reiterated adherence to international law, particularly the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the 2016 South China Sea Arbitral Award. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. previously urged ASEAN states to fast-track the conclusion of the COC to address China’s aggressive and illegal activities in Philippine waters. But the President recognized contentious matters still needed a consensus, including the geographic scope of the code of conduct and its relationship with the Declaration on Conduct (DOC) of Parties in the South China Sea.

Vietnam made a similar call early this year for both ASEAN and China to accelerate COC negotiations. However, Beijing has repeatedly maintained that the COC should not be used as a means to legitimize the 2016 Arbitral Award, which it insists was initiated unilaterally by the Philippines without China’s consent. In 2023, the Foreign Ministers of ASEAN and China adopted the Guidelines on Accelerating the Early Conclusion of the Code of Conduct and agreed to work towards concluding the COC within three years.

Malaysia and China co-chair the Joint Working Group on the Implementation of the DOC of Parties in the South China Sea. The next round of negotiations will be held in Malaysia later in the year.

Source: news.abs-cbn.com