Metro Manila, Philippines – The Philippines remains confident that negotiations on a long-awaited South China Sea Code of Conduct (COC) are making progress, while clarifying that concerns involving Batanes will not be part of discussions during next week’s ASEAN ministerial meetings.
Department of Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary and ASEAN-Philippines National Secretariat spokesperson Dominic Xavier Imperial said ASEAN and China continue to make headway in negotiating the regional code.
“We’re happy to say that there is continuing progress in terms of the number of meetings that have happened so far,” Imperial said during a briefing on Thursday, July 16.
He said the Philippines remains optimistic that negotiations can be completed this year.
The target stems from a 2023 agreement by ASEAN foreign ministers to conclude the negotiations within three years.
Imperial acknowledged that negotiators are still tackling key “milestone issues.”
“When we say there’s progress, one by one we are able to address or get consensus on some of these elements.”
Batanes not on ASEAN agenda
Imperial said the security issue over Batanes is outside the regional bloc’s agenda.
“I don’t want to preempt what the discussions would be, but I believe it’s not an ASEAN issue,” he said.
Imperial also declined to comment on China’s recent accusation that the Philippines was creating obstacles in the COC negotiations by invoking the 2016 arbitral award.
The Philippines has consistently pushed for a substantive and effective Code of Conduct that is consistent with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
Foreign ministers from ASEAN member states and dialogue partners, including U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, are expected to attend ASEAN-related meetings in Manila next week.
