Marcos Jr. to push for South China Sea Code of Conduct at ASEAN Summit

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is expected to push for progress on the long-delayed South China Sea Code of Conduct during the 46th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits in Kuala Lumpur next week.

The Philippines aims to complete the Code of Conduct by 2026, when it will chair the ASEAN regional bloc, as Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo stated last month.

Negotiations have faced challenges over contentious issues such as the scope of disputed waters and whether the code should be legally binding.

Department of Foreign Affairs Deputy Assistant Secretary Dominic Xavier Imperial emphasized that the Philippines is backing guidelines adopted by ASEAN foreign ministers in 2023 to fast-track the passage of the Code of Conduct.

The Philippine president will participate in nine high-level engagements during the summit, underscoring the country's sovereignty and jurisdiction in accordance with international law.