Philippines proposes new South China sea code
Date
11/21/2023 7:11:37 AM
(MENAFN) The Philippines has put forward a fresh proposal for a code of conduct aimed at fostering stability and peace in the contested South China Sea.
This initiative from Manila follows President Ferdinand Marcos' expression of concern regarding the extended negotiations between Southeast Asian nations and China concerning the South China Sea Code of Conduct (COC), as reported by a Philippines news outlet.
“We are now in the midst of negotiating our own code of conduct, for example, with Vietnam because we are still waiting for the code of conduct between China and ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) and the progress has been rather slow unfortunately,” Marcos stated at an event at the Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies in Honolulu, Hawaii on Monday.
“And so we've taken the initiative to approach those other countries around ASEAN with whom we have existing territorial conflicts,” he also said.
Marcos is actively seeking the support of nations such as Vietnam and Malaysia in an effort to establish a new maritime code aimed at preserving peace in the South China Sea.
The territorial disputes in the South China Sea encompass conflicting claims over islands and maritime territories in the region by various sovereign states, including China, Taiwan, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam.
In addressing the complexities of the region, the South China Sea Declaration on the Conduct of Parties (DoC) serves as a conduct agreement signed by ASEAN and China in November 2002. This marked a significant milestone as it represented the first instance of China accepting a multilateral agreement on the South China Sea issue.
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