Marcos urges ASEAN to speed up COC drafting with China

President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. expressed frustration beyond mere disappointment with China's actions in the South China Sea, calling Beijing's behavior more than just frustrating due to potential dangers.

Marcos urged ASEAN member states to expedite the drafting of an ASEAN-China Code of Conduct (COC) during the ongoing ASEAN Summit, citing unresolved issues such as the definition of 'self-restraint' and whether the code should be legally binding.

Manila continues to face harassment from Chinese forces in the resource-rich South China Sea, prompting Marcos to emphasize adherence to international law and push for a rules-based order in the region.

More than half of ASEAN members are backing the Philippines' stance on the South China Sea issue, though specific countries were not named by Marcos.

During the summit, Marcos Jr. emphasized that ASEAN should not be seen as merely a 'talk shop,' but rather a platform to maintain peace and avoid conflict in the strategic waterway.

The Philippine President highlighted recent incidents like Chinese vessels using water cannons against Philippine BFAR ships in Scarborough Shoal, underscoring the need for concrete actions from ASEAN and China.