President Marcos called on participants of the East Asia Summit (EAS) to exert "concerted and serious efforts" to resolve disputes in the South China Sea and not ignore China's continued "disregard" for international law and standards.

Marcos said this as he joined his fellow leaders at the EAS on the last day of the 44th and 45th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit and Related Summits in Vientiane, Laos on Friday, Oct. 11.

In his remarks, the President noted how, more recently, People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy missile ships intimidated Philippine civilian fishing vessels and aircraft.

He likewise cited the incident in August when Chinese vessels harassed the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) while on routine maritime patrol in Escoda Shoal which is within the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the Philippines.

"These kinds of behavior cannot be ignored, and demand of us concerted and serious efforts to truly manage our disputes in the South China Sea," he said.

With this, Marcos reiterated the need to address the South China Sea issue to manage differences and reduce tensions between parties as he noted that the matter remains a strategic challenge for the concerned parties that is difficult to address.

"Parties have to be conscientious and earnest concerning this most consequential issue. We must all remain open to seriously manage differences and reduce tensions," he said.

"Though positive developments have occurred recently in my country, it is regrettable that it has not changed the overall situation in the South China Sea, tensions remain," he added.

President Marcos then reiterated his call to hasten the process of negotiations for the conclusion of a binding ASEAN-China Code of Conduct (COC) to lessen the risks of miscalculation and escalation in the vital waterway.

At the same time, he suggested the inclusion in EAS initiatives the South China Sea-related issues. These include creating greater maritime domain awareness, more projects on marine environmental protection, the safety of navigation and communication at sea, and clear rules of engagement for vessels plying the South China Sea.

Marcos likewise highlighted the importance of multilateralism, which he said, can only thrive on the basis of a rules-based international order anchored on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and international law.

"Sovereignty, territorial integrity, and political independence of all states, and peaceful settlement of disputes, could only be achieved through the preservation of this order, providing the greatest assurance of peace for the current and future generations," he said.

The EAS comprises eighteen participating countries, including 10 ASEAN Member States, namely Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam, with Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation, and the United States of America.