Palace: Talks on Code of Conduct in South China Sea high on Asean summit agenda

MALACAÑANG on Thursday said the upcoming Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Summit will likely touch on the issue of territorial disputes in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea).

The statement came amid fresh reports of China’s reclamation activities in the disputed areas, including a reef that is within the exclusive economic zone of the Philippines.

Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. pointed out that the Asean Summit has always tackled the need for a legally binding Code of Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea.

“This is always a topic with high level of interest and priority assigned by the Asean member countries to it,” he said in a televised briefing.

However, he was unable to specify if President Benigno Aquino III will officially raise the issue of China’s reclamation during the summit.

“Hindi pa sinasabi sa atin ng DFA (Department of Foreign Affairs) kung ano eksakto ’yung mga nakalatag na agenda para sa Asean Summit na idaraos sa Kuala Lumpur sa mga darating na araw,” Coloma explained.

(The Department of Foreign Affairs has yet to inform us on the specific agenda of the Asean Summit, which will be held in Kuala Lumpur in the coming days.)

Diplomacy

Coloma said that the objective is to discuss the maritime entitlements in West Philippine Sea, which is part of South China Sea, using a “rules-based approach.”

“Kinakailangan ay mayroong mga malinaw na pamantayan…hinggil sa conduct ng mga parties na mayroong maritime entitlement claims dahil nga ito ang naging problema simula ‘nung 2002,” he said. “Dahil walang malinaw na batayan, walang mga malilinaw na patakaran, ito ‘yung lumilikha ng agam-agam at ligalig.”

(We need clear rules…regarding the conduct of the parties that have maritime entitlement claims. This has been the problem since 2002. Because there is no clear basis, no clear rules, the situation creates a lot of uncertainty and confusion.)

He said freedom of navigation in the area is important because a substantial amount of international trade passes through South China Sea. AC