Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 1) — Top diplomats are expected to endorse the framework for the South China Sea Code of Conduct in the next few days during the 50th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Foreign Minister’s Meeting meeting in Manila from August 2 to 8.
Foreign Affairs spokesperson Robespierre Bolivar said Tuesday the framework, which had been approved by senior officials in May, was expected to be endorsed to the regional bloc’s leaders by Sunday, August 6.
“The framework basically presents an outline of the Code of Conduct. So after it is endorsed, after the approvals process has been done, dealt with, we expect that the talks on the actual Code of Conduct will begin in earnest,” Bolivar said, adding ASEAN and China had committed to approve the framework under chairmanship of the Philippines this year.
The Foreign Affairs spokesperson said they wouldn’t want to put a timeline on when the actual Code of Conduct would be released, and added the endorsement would already a “very big step.”
“As you may recall, there was a different strategic environment in 2002 when we were when we adopted the Declaration of Conduct to Parties in the South China Sea. For this particular year, in fact since late last year, we have a commitment from ASEAN and China to complete this framework and this is already a major step towards realizing the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea,” Bolivar said.
The ASEAN aims to dispel tensions among different claimant states – including the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam, and China – in the South China Sea though the Code of Conduct.
READ: U.S., China top diplomats to visit Manila for ASEAN meetings
The completion of the framework marked a significant development in the 15-year process of drafting a legally binding code for claimants in the disputed waters.
