Cebu, Philippines – ASEAN foreign ministers are committed to concluding the long-delayed Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea with China within the year, with monthly meetings planned to push negotiations forward, Foreign Affairs Secretary Theresa Lazaro said.
Speaking to reporters after the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Retreat in Cebu City on Thursday, Jan. 29, Lazaro said the members agreed to intensify talks through regular technical working group meetings to overcome remaining contentious issues.
“We will endeavor to conclude the negotiations of an effective and substantive Code of Conduct that is in accordance with international law, particularly the 1982 UNCLOS, within this year,” Lazaro said.
The COC is intended to set rules for managing competing territorial claims in the South China Sea, one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes and a major source of tension between China and a number of Southeast Asian countries allied with the United States.
Lazaro acknowledged that negotiations still face “milestone issues,” including the geographic scope of the code, its relationship with the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties (DOC), whether the agreement will be legally binding, and the definition of key terms.
Despite these challenges, she said ASEAN foreign ministers demonstrated concrete commitment to the process.
“Any commitment? Of course, definitely. There’s even willingness to host meetings, face-to-face meetings, and that is a real commitment from our ASEAN members to do this,” Lazaro said.
She clarified that concluding the COC means formally ending negotiations and producing a finalized code of conduct between ASEAN and China, not merely extending discussions.
As ASEAN chairman for 2026, the Philippines plans to pursue a strategy of more frequent, face-to-face negotiations to build consensus and maintain momentum.
“I would love, being an optimist, to say that it’s a high level of confidence,” Lazaro said. “But being a pragmatist, I cannot really predict. What we can do is ensure sustained engagement, and monthly meetings are part of that commitment.”
