DFA: China ‘politically committed’ to COC on South China Sea

Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo — Photo from the Philippine News Agency

MANILA, Philippines — China is “politically committed” to having a binding code of conduct (COC) on the South China Sea by 2026, according to Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo.

Manalo made the pronouncement in an ambush interview on Thursday when asked if the Philippines and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) had gotten China’s commitment on the matter.

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“Well, we are all politically committed to achieving, having a code by next year. But we will see. We will try our best,” the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) chief said.

The Philippines was supposed to host the annual Asean Summit in 2027, but it took over for 2026 as Myanmar struggles with internal conflict.

Earlier, the Philippines voiced concerns about the South China Sea during negotiations between Asean and China for a COC in those waters.

“The meeting was an opportunity for the Philippines to strongly call for the need to adhere to international law, particularly the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and the 2016 South China Sea arbitral award,” the DFA said.

Manalo said issues such as those in the West Philippine Sea “are one of the reasons why we need to have a code.”