Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro expressed confidence that ASEAN and China could conclude negotiations on a long-awaited Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea by the end of the year, citing growing political will among the parties and steady progress in the talks.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the 59th Association of Southeast Asian Nations Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Pasay City, Lazaro said negotiations have gained momentum as ASEAN and China have been holding monthly meetings since January to accelerate discussions.

"This seems to be the focus of many of the countries, and I can see some political will from all the countries involved," Lazaro said in a press briefing on Thursday evening, July 23, when asked about the South China Sea discussions.

She said negotiators have already made progress on several longstanding issues, including the terms of reference, the geographical scope of the agreement, whether it should be legally binding, and its relationship with the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea.

Lazaro said one encouraging development is the growing consensus on the definition of self-restraint, which she described as an important element of the negotiations.

"The terms of reference is very important because still the definition of, let's say, self-restraint. Now, there's been some kind of consensus, a growing consensus, and that's for us a good progress," she said.

She added that the intensified pace of negotiations reflects the shared intention of ASEAN member states and China to complete the COC before the end of the Philippine chairmanship.

"I think eventually, with the political will of many of our ASEAN friends, including China, we'll see," Lazaro said.

Asked whether recent incidents in Ayungin Shoal and Scarborough Shoal would affect the negotiations, Lazaro said such developments form part of the ongoing discussions on the code.

She stressed that the COC negotiations remain anchored on UNCLOS, recognize the rights of third parties, and are intended to govern conduct at sea.

ASEAN and China have been negotiating a Code of Conduct for years in an effort to establish rules that would help prevent incidents and manage tensions in the South China Sea, where overlapping maritime claims continue to fuel disputes.