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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider As 2026 chair, PH eyes to fast-track South China Sea Code talks in ASEAN

As 2026 chair, PH eyes to fast-track South China Sea Code talks in ASEAN

Published Jul 15, 2025 01:57 pm
The Philippines plans to fast-track the conclusion of the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea when it assumes chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) next year.

DFA Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro (Photo from DFA)
DFA Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro (Photo from DFA)
This was disclosed by Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro on Monday, July 14.

Noting that the ASEAN foreign ministers set the deadline for the conclusion of the negotiations for the COC in 2026, the official said that a technical working group hosted by ASEAN member-states and China will be held in the coming months.

“All of this are, as you mentioned, fast tracking, but of course, in its own time frame and the discussions being really, really intensely discussed. Hopefully, we can have something in 2026 during our chairship, as mandated by the foreign ministers, in 2023,” she added.

Lazaro shared that after a technical working group to discuss one of the crucial milestone issues was held in Manila in April, another meeting is expected to be hosted by Malaysia next month, with Singapore and China following in the next two months.

She stressed that it was the ASEAN foreign ministers who, in 2023, set the timeframe for the COC to be finalized by 2026.

“The whole of ASEAN is guided by the 2023 decision that was actually held in our capital time. Now what have we done, we should continue that,” the DFA chief added.

The government, together with the DFA and its ASEAN office and other concerned government agencies, are currently preparing for the country’s ASEAN chairship next year.

“We are still discussing the theme as well as the priorities. But just to give you some kind of an overview, we have three basic cross-cutting issues that will be the sort of the the priorities for the 2026 chairship. It will be peace and security, maritime cooperation, and climate change,” Lazaro shared.

She, however, explained that they are “still in the process of discussion” because they would have to wait for Malaysia to finish its chairship to determine the progress on each issue.

“We are of the view that we should also build on what Malaysia in its (last) year, on what they have done and build some kind of a building block to strengthen ASEAN cooperation, regional cooperation,” she furthered.

Negotiations on the finalization of the COC have been going on since 2002, which led to the 2002 Declaration on the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (DOC), a non-binding agreement aimed at promoting a peaceful resolution to the disputes in the region.

The more binding COC is aimed at coming up with a set of rules and principles to resolve the South China Sea disputes peacefully and ensure the stability of the region.

Related Tags

Tess Lazaro South China Sea Code of Conduct ASEAN Summit DFA
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