Asean defense ministers renew push for code of conduct

The defense ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) member-states pushed for a binding Code of Conduct (CoC) for the South China Sea and called for self-restraint in activities that would escalate tensions in the disputed waters.

In a joint declaration after meeting in Vientiane, Laos, on Thursday, Asean defense chiefs renewed their commitment to maintain the South China Sea “as a sea of peace, stability, and prosperity” through the 2022 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea.

But China has continued to oppose a binding code of conduct in the disputed waters since 2002, years before China’s self-declared “nine-dash line” in the area.

The defense chiefs were in Vientiane for the 18th Asean Defense Ministers’ Meeting.

The defense ministers also emphasized the need for the “early conclusion of an effective and substantive” CoC in the South China Sea in accordance with international law.

READ: Pentagon, AFP on Task Force Ayungin: US troops limited to supporting role 

Article continues after this advertisement

“In addition, the parties are committed to promoting maritime security, safety, and freedom of navigation and overflight and creating a conducive environment for the peaceful resolution of disputes in the South China Sea,” the declaration read.

Article continues after this advertisement

In October, President Marcos called on Asean to speed up the completion of the CoC, which started more than two decades ago.

“In our view, there should be more urgency in the pace of the negotiations of the Asean-China Code of Conduct,” the President said during his intervention at the 27th Asean-China Summit in Laos.

Mr. Marcos also told a closed-door session that Asean should not “turn a blind eye to the aggressive, coercive and illegal actions of an external power.”

In November last year, Mr. Marcos said the Philippines was working on a separate CoC in the South China Sea with neighboring countries, such as Malaysia and Vietnam, citing that a regional CoC with China has not been progressing.

He stressed the Philippines had approached its neighboring countries with existing territorial conflicts in the South China Sea, particularly Vietnam and Malaysia, citing that the progress of the CoC with China “has been rather slow unfortunately.”

“Hopefully this will grow further and extend to other Asean countries,” he said.

Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. said in October he wanted to see good faith on the part of China.

“They say they’re committed to a dialogue on condition that it’s based on historical facts. What kind of dialogue is that? It’s a monologue and they’re the only ones who believe what they’re saying,” Teodoro said.