Marcos calls for fast tracking of ASEAN-China Code of Conduct

VIENTIANE - President Ferdinand ''Bongbong'' Marcos Jr. on Thursday urged ASEAN member states to fast-track the ASEAN-China Code of Conduct to advance meaningful progress amid China's aggression in the South China Sea.

''In our view, there should be more urgency in the pace of the negotiations of the ASEAN-China Code of Conduct (COC),” Marcos said in his intervention during the 27th ASEAN-China Summit in Lao PDR.

Marcos emphasized that the “core elements of the COC, such as the milestone issues of geographic scope, the relationship between the COC and DOC, and its legal nature to this day remain outstanding.”

He pointed out that “the definition of a concept as basic as 'self-restraint' does not yet enjoy consensus.”

''It is time that we tackle these milestone issues directly so we can make substantive progress moving forward,” Marcos said.

Marcos maintained that China’s aggression and intimidation “demonstrates the continued disregard of international law and standards,'' particularly the UNCLOS and the 1972 Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREGS).”

“Such behavior is not unnoticed by our respective publics and the international community as well. That they will require a concerted and urgent effort to adopt measures to prevent their recurrence,” Marcos said.

According to Marcos, parties should be earnestly open to seriously manage the differences and reduce tensions.

Meanwhile, an earlier NHK report said Marcos urged leaders of the ASEAN ''not to turn a blind eye to developments in the South China Sea.''

The Philippine media delegation tried to confirm this with no less than the Chief Executive, but he refused to provide information about the topics tackled during the close session.

''Hindi ko paguusapan kung ano 'yung close session, 'yung pinagusapan namin sa close session. It is improper for me to disclose anything that was mentioned in close session. We leave it to the Chairman to decide what should be publicized,'' Marcos told reporters.

(I won't discuss what's tackled in the close session.)

Despite Beijing's continued aggression and intimidation, Marcos reaffirmed the Philippines’ unwavering commitment to deepening and extending ASEAN-China relations through the use of a comprehensive manner, ''thereby contributing further to the region’s long-term peace, development and cooperation.''

Tension continues in the region amid Beijing's claims in almost all of the South China Sea, a conduit for more than $3 trillion of annual ship-borne commerce, including parts claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei. The Philippines refers to portions of the South China Sea as the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

Just this week, Chinese vessels fired water cannons at two ships of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) in Bajo de Masinloc (Scarborough Shoal).

China maintained that the actions of the Chinese Coast Guar in that incident were “in accordance with the law, and the on-site operation is professional, standardized, legitimate and legal” as the Philippines allegedly “insisted” on invading their waters without Chinese permission.

To recall, Marcos said before that the Philippines has to do more than just filing diplomatic protests against China amid the latter's hostile actions.

--VAL, GMA Integrated News