On Thursday, at the ASEAN regional summit on October 9th, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr exerted pressure on Southeast Asian leaders and China, urging for an expedited negotiation of the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea, while also accusing Beijing of harassment and intimidation.
During the summit in Vientiane, Laos, Marcos addressed ASEAN leaders and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, insisting on substantive progress regarding the South China Sea issue. He emphasized the need for all parties to approach their differences with sincerity and seriousness to reduce tensions in the region.
The ongoing sovereignty disputes between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea have led to standoffs. The Philippines has accused Chinese coast guard of aggressive actions, resorting to violence with water cannons, military-grade lasers, and even axes, while Beijing has accused the Philippines of repeated intrusions and provocations.
These disputes have been intense at times, raising concerns about regional escalation and the potential involvement of the United States. The US and the Philippines signed a Mutual Defense Treaty in 1951, pledging to provide protection to the Philippines in case of attack.
According to a statement from Marcos’s office, he emphasized at the meeting, “The pace of negotiations for the ASEAN-China Code of Conduct should be more urgent.” He expressed disappointment that the overall situation in the South China Sea remains tense with no changes, as they continue to face harassment and intimidation from China.
China claims sovereignty over nearly the entire South China Sea and has deployed its coast guard fleet deep into Southeast Asia, including the exclusive economic zones of Malaysia, Brunei, the Philippines, and Vietnam. Despite a 2016 ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague dismissing China’s expansive sovereignty claims, Beijing has refused to accept the ruling.
In 2002, ASEAN and China agreed on the concept of a Code of Conduct for maritime issues, but formal drafting only began in 2017. Progress has been slow since then, with discussions focusing on negotiation frameworks and models, along with issuing guidelines to expedite the process. Some ASEAN members are concerned that the code lacks legal binding force.
ASEAN Secretary-General Lim Jock Hoi remarked in an interview with Reuters, “This is not static, not stagnating.” Marcos expressed frustration that the parties couldn’t even reach a consensus on simple concepts like “self-restraint.”
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning stated during a routine press conference on October 9 that China is committed to promoting negotiations on the Code of Conduct, maintaining that disputes should be resolved through dialogue and negotiation while opposing any encroachment and provocation.
Founded during the Cold War era with an anti-communist stance, ASEAN’s main tasks include preventing the expansion of communist forces within the region.
At the Laos meeting on October 9, ASEAN leaders were joined by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to prepare for the full East Asia Summit meeting on Friday.
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba were scheduled to hold their first summit in Laos on October 9, aiming to deepen security and economic ties between their countries.
Yoon views repairing relations with Japan and enhancing trilateral security cooperation with the US as his top foreign policy priorities, having made progress on related issues with Ishiba’s predecessor Fumio Kishida.
South Korea and ASEAN announced the establishment of a comprehensive strategic partnership in Vientiane. Yoon stated that this will promote defense industry cooperation and enhance ASEAN’s cybersecurity capabilities.
ASEAN leaders also pledged to improve the resilience, innovation, and competitiveness of the regional supply chain, accelerate negotiations, and upgrade free trade agreements.
The Laos summit also discussed the crisis in Myanmar that has emerged since the military coup in 2021, which has escalated into a civil war.
On October 9, ASEAN leaders called for all parties to cease violence and attacks against civilians, supporting efforts for peaceful resolutions, including increased cooperation with neighboring countries of Myanmar and the United Nations to address the crisis and its broader impacts, including drugs and crimes.
Western countries have taken a tougher stance than ASEAN, imposing sanctions on the Myanmar military junta and accusing them of committing systematic atrocities, which the military government denies.