PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. yesterday asked the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asea) to expedite the adoption of code of conduct in the South China Sea to prevent any miscalculation amid growing tension in the disputed area.
At the 46th Asean Summit in Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, Marcos also welcomed a consensus from the regional bloc to “avoid retaliatory measures” in connection with the higher unilateral tariff imposed by the United States.
Marcos said the world faces a growing complexity of challenges from geopolitical tensions, “unexpected trade barriers, and the unprecedented impact of climate change that have the potential to disrupt communities, supply chains, and remove our hard-earned progress.”
“In this increasingly interconnected world, we find ourselves, and our gains, at risk when our current stability is challenged,” he said.
The president emphasized the importance of working together to strengthen institutions, build the resilience and capacities of all people, so “we can better navigate this increasingly uncertain future and turn challenges into opportunities for shared growth and stability.”
On a legally binding code of conduct in the South China Sea, he said it is important amid the growing tension in the region as result of recent confrontations between China and some Southeast Asian countries that have overlapping territorial claims in disputed waters.
“We underscore the urgent need to accelerate the adoption of a legally binding code of conduct in the South China Sea to safeguard maritime rights, promote stability, and prevent miscalculations at sea,” he said.
The President reaffirmed the Philippines’ commitment to work with Asean to ensure regional peace, security, and stability.
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) last week said the Asean members and China have agreed to complete the code of conduct by next year.
Aside from the Philippines, the other Asean member countries are Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Asean and China had started talks on the code in 2018, with the aim of coming up with a set of guidelines to prevent tension and disputes from growing in the South China Sea.
China is claiming almost the entire South China Sea, overlapping with the claims of Asean members the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei.
Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo on Sunday said the Philippines is determined to see how it could speed up negotiations for a code of conduct between Asean and Beijing on the South China Sea.
All sides agreed in 2002 to draft a code but it took 15 years for them to initiate a process to start negotiations.
ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn last week told Reuters all sides were committed to finalizing the code by next year.
The Philippines will chair Asean in 2026.
MORE AGREEMENTS
Manalo said the Philippines is open to any additional agreement with Beijing that can help maintain peace in the South China Sea.
The South China Sea, a conduit for about $3 trillion of annual ship-borne trade, remains a source of tension between China and U.S. ally the Philippines, with ties at their worst in years amid frequent standoffs that have sparked regional concerns they could spiral into conflict.
The Philippines is vexed by the constant presence of China’s coast guard in its exclusive economic zone, where both countries claim sovereignty over disputed features, including uninhabited sandbars, an atoll rich in fish stocks and a reef where Manila has troops stationed on a grounded navy ship.
“I’m not saying they (arrangements) will necessarily take place, but anything within the scope of diplomatic means or peaceful means or cooperation is certainly within our template,” Manalo told journalists on the sidelines of an Asean summit on Sunday.
Deals have been struck before, with the Philippines and China last year reaching a “provisional arrangement” for resupply missions to the grounded vessel at the Second Thomas Shoal after repeated flare-ups between rival vessels.
‘DEFEND OUR SEAS’
Speaker Martin Romualdez urged his fellow Southeast Asian lawmakers to defend the rules-based international order in the face of China’s continuing incursions in the West Philippine Sea.
“We must move as one — translating Asean’s collective aspirations into concrete policies that empower our workers, farmers, and fisherfolks, protect our seas, connect our digital economies, and defend the rules-based international order,” he told heads of state and parliamentary leaders at the 14th Asean Leaders Interface with Representatives of the Asean Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Center in Malaysia.
Romualdez also highlighted the “critical role of legislative institutions in securing peace, prosperity and regional sovereignty.”
He urged fellow lawmakers to adhere to and uphold the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), “which guarantees peace, security, and sovereignty for all,”
The Speaker said regional peace and prosperity depend on “steadfast” observance of international law in the face of external threats to countries’ maritime integrity like what is happening to smaller countries likes the Philippines.
“Our region cannot afford to be passive in a world that is increasingly polarized. The true measure of leadership is not what we preserve — but what we build,” Romualdez said, “Together, let us build a region that is not only prepared for the future — but determined to shape it.”
US TARIFF
Marcos, in his intervention during the plenary, supported Asean’s consensus on non-retaliatory measures in response to the latest tariff policy of the United States.
“We commend Malaysia’s leadership in convening the Special Asean Economic Ministers’ Meeting and welcome the consensus to avoid retaliatory measures. This measured and unified approach upholds Asean’s commitment to dialogue, diplomacy, and a rules-based multilateral trading system,” Marcos said.
Prior to the summit, Marcos emphasized the need for a unified response to the tariff issue, despite the Philippines’ receiving one of the lowest tax rates of 17 percent.
Trade officials of Asean member states have also held consultation meetings on the issue while the Philippines has sent its officials in Washington to meet with US trade e officials.
The President, during the Leaders’ meeting with the Asean Business Advisory Council (ABAC), emphasized the importance of certain guidelines and policies especially amid the regional bloc’s aim to turn the region into a global trade and investment hub.
“Asean must keep goods and services flowing smoothly. While regulations are certainly necessary, we must ensure that they do not become trade barriers, he added.
CLIMATE CHANGE, AID CHALLENGES
The President addressed other broader challenges confronting the region, such as climate change, economic volatility, and transnational crimes.
Marcos also reaffirmed the Philippines’ commitment to the full implementation of the Asean Declaration to Prevent and Combat Trafficking in Persons Caused by the Abuse of Technology.
“As one of the most climate-vulnerable regions globally, nearly half of the entire Asean population faces significant climate-related risks,” he said, as he assured the other nations that the Philippines, as host of the Board of the Fund for responding to Loss and Damage, will continue to advocate for scientific and evidence-based, investment-led, and transformative solutions to the climate crisis.
He also urged Asean partners to scale up climate financing to enable the regional bloc to realize its climate ambitions and safeguard the future of its communities.
“We also call for deeper regional cooperation to address these emerging and transboundary challenges,” he added.
DIGITAL LITERACY
During the Leaders’ separate meeting with the Asean youth sector and the ABAC, the President called for stronger digital literacy and resilience as a proactive measure against online scams and other emerging cyber threats.
Marcos emphasized the youth’s critical role in building a people-centered Asean community amid the “rapidly changing, driven by technology and other advancements in the digital frontier.”
He said that while these advancements have advantages, these also have a “darker side” such as online scams, cyberbullying, misinformation, disinformation, and the potential for abuse and misuse of Artificial Intelligence.
“We must therefore equip our youth with digital resilience that will enable them to navigate online spaces with a critical lens, and to use technology to amplify their voices and contributions to ASEAN’s regional growth,” he said.
The President also encouraged the youth to take an active role in efforts to address impacts of climate change, emphasizing their vital contribution to building a more sustainable and resilient future.
In the meeting with the ABAC representatives, Marcos highlighted the urgency of advancing a digital economy framework agreement and the need for more investments in digital infrastructure, in innovation, and human capital which would be the key to building a digital ASEAN.
“Above all, we must continue to invest in our people. A digitally literate, adaptable workforce is the foundation for any progress we hope to achieve,” he said.
He also emphasized the need for a responsible and inclusive AI collaboration that ensures that all technological advancements benefit all segments of society, empowers our people, safeguards all values, and contributes to sustainable development throughout the region.
Marcos also thanked the ASEAN Bank for championing micro- small, and medium enterprises which he said powers over 99 percent of the businesses in the region. – With Wendell Vigilia and Reuters
