Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 7) — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has called on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to stop “dangerous” activities in the South China Sea.
In his intervention during the 18th East Asia Summit in Jakarta, Indonesia on Thursday, Marcos decried the “dangerous use” of coast guard and militia vessels in the South China Sea as he asserted the Philippines’ maritime jurisdiction.
“The Philippines fully supports adherence to international law and the rules-based order,” Marcos said. “We must oppose the dangerous use of coast guard and maritime militia vessels in the South China Sea.”
He sounded the alarm over illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, as well as the militarization of reclaimed features in the South China Sea.
The chief executive, apparently alluding to China, also expressed concern over “consistent actions” that violate international laws, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
“We call on ASEAN and our partners to harness our shared interests and rally us into taking joint action, guided by ASEAN Centrality and universal multilateralism,” Marcos said.
The Philippine president also urged \”all parties to exercise self-restraint and refrain from unilateral and assertive activities that would increase tensions in the region, misunderstandings, and miscalculations in the South China Sea.”
“We must not allow tensions in the South China Sea to further escalate,” Marcos stressed.
In early August, the Philippine Coast Guard reported that a China Coast Guard vessel blocked and fired a water cannon at Philippine vessels on the way to Ayungin Shoal for a resupply mission. China’s act of aggression drew ire from other nations.
He maintained that the Philippines wants a peaceful resolution of disputes despite previously saying that the dream to make the South China Sea an area of peace and stability is still “a distant reality.”
He said the conclusion of an effective and substantial code of conduct (COC) remains the Philippines’ goal, as he reaffirmed the country’s commitment to upholding its sovereign rights in accordance with international maritime rules.
Marcos earlier said there is “some progress” in talks on the South China Sea COC.
China, self-ruled Taiwan, and ASEAN members the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam have overlapping claims in the South China Sea, a vital route of global trade.
