By Genalyn Kabiling NONTHABURI, Thailand - President Duterte will stick to the country’s policy of being a "friend to all, enemy to none" when he attends the regional summit here, according to Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar. Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Martin Andanar holds a press conference for the Malacañang Press Corps (MPC) at the Impact Challenger in Nonthaburi, Thailand on November 1, 2019. (AVITO DALAN/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO) Andanar issued the statement even as the Philippines has backed the early conclusion of a code of conduct in the South China Sea amid a territorial dispute with China. He said the country's relationship with China is multifaceted and is not limited to the territorial conflict. "The President has always maintained to have a policy that is 'friends to all and enemies to none.' Our relationship with China is not limited to one aspect. We have other factors to consider,” Andanar said during a press conference ahead of Duterte’s arrival in Thailand for the 35th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit and related summits. The Philippines, he said, has other areas of cooperation with China such as trade and investments, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges. "We also have trading relations with China. We do have cultural exchanges with China," he said. "We are expecting ODA (official development assistance) and we are also receiving investments from the People's Republic of China whether from the government or the private sector," he added. Keeping cooperative ties with China however, does to mean the country was abandoning its claims over the West Philippines Sea. "We still hold that card, that Permanent Court of Arbitration ruling that we do have sovereignty over this area in the West Philippine Sea,” Andanar said. Andanar could not say if the President will raise the arbitral ruling that nullified China's excessive claims in South China during the regional meeting. He confirmed though that the code of conduct governing parties passing the South China Sea will be discussed at the weekend summit. "As the country coordinator for ASEAN and China, the Philippines will work extra to be able to come up with a good environment for the final approval and implementation on the code of conduct over the South China Sea," he said. Asked if the President will take the opportunity to ask Congress to stop its incursions into the country's territory, Andanar said: "I cannot answer you if the President will raise that during this ASEAN but what i can tell you is every time there are issues come up or spring up we do have the Department of Foreign Affairs that is very active in sending their message to China." Andanar, on the other hand, said he does not see any danger for the country's relations with China if the proposed code of conduct is not passed soon. "I don't see any danger. As I mentioned earlier, our relationship with the People's Republic of China is multifaceted. It is not limited to our issue over the West Philippine Sea," he said. "While the ASEAN is at it, building the mechanism and finalizing the code of conduct, we will still continue trading with China, we will still continue with our people-to-people exchanges, our cultural exchanges and our partnership in eradication hard drugs, also fighting terrorism and human trafficking," he said. China and four other ASEAN member-states have overlapping claims in the resource-rich South China Sea. Tension in the region has risen as countries e protested China's increased reclamation works and military buildup in the disputed waters. A proposed code of conduct in the disputed waterways is being negotiated by ASEAN and China to prevent the escalation of the tension in the region.