China's response to Marcos: Beijing to advance SCS code of conduct with ASEAN

China said it will continue to advance the consultations for the Code of Conduct (COC) as it responded to President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.'s statements at the ASEAN.

In a press conference in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning was asked about the NHK report on Marcos urging leaders of ASEAN ''not to turn a blind eye to developments in the South China Sea.''

“China will continue to work with ASEAN countries to fully and effectively implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, actively advance the consultations of the code of conduct in the South China Sea, and jointly make the South China Sea a sea of peace, friendship and cooperation,” said Mao.

Marcos on Thursday also said that "there should be more urgency in the pace of the negotiations of the ASEAN-China Code of Conduct" and that “core elements of the COC, such as the milestone issues of geographic scope... and its legal nature to this day remain outstanding.”

Mao, howeve, maintained that “the situation in the South China Sea is generally stable” with the joint effort of China and ASEAN countries.

“China remains committed to settling maritime differences with countries concerned through dialogue and consultation on the basis of respecting historical facts and international law,” she said.

This, as Marcos said at the ASEAN 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).”

Marcos' statement comes after China Coast Guard (CCG) vessels again fired water cannons at two ships of the Philippines’ Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) in Bajo de Masinloc (Scarborough Shoal).

Mao, however reiterated on Thursday that “China firmly opposes any infringement activities and provocations, and firmly safeguards its own territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests.”

CCG spokesman Liu Dejun also previously said that their actions were “in accordance with the law, and the on-site operation is professional, standardized, legitimate and legal” as the Philippines “insisted” on invading their waters without permission.

Tensions continue as Beijing claims almost all of the SCS— a conduit for more than $3 trillion of annual shipborne commerce— including parts claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei.

In 2016, an international arbitration tribunal in Hague ruled in favor of the Philippines over China's claims in the South China Sea, saying that it had "no legal basis."

China has refused to recognize the decision.

--VAL, GMA Integrated News