ASEAN Reaffirms Commitment to Advancing South China Sea Code of Conduct, Hopes for Effective and Substantive Outcome
ASEAN leaders have reaffirmed their commitment to finalize an "effective, substantive, and internationally compliant" Code of Conduct (COC) for the South China Sea. Negotiations have been challenging, but efforts are underway for a resolution by year-end, with monthly meetings between China and ASEAN.
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- 📰 Published: May 9, 2026 at 18:44
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Central News Agency
(Central News Agency reporter Lin Xing-jian, Manila 9th exclusive report) Leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) reaffirmed their commitment to finalizing an "effective, substantive, and internationally compliant" Code of Conduct (COC) for the South China Sea, in response to maritime security challenges and to maintain regional stability.
ASEAN's 48th Summit was held yesterday in Cebu, a metropolitan area in central Philippines. The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs today issued a chairman's statement, noting that leaders reaffirmed their commitment to advancing COC negotiations but did not set a specific timetable.
The chairman's statement read: "We encourage all parties to fully utilize the 'Guidelines for Accelerating the Early Conclusion of the COC in the South China Sea,' endorsed by the ASEAN and Chinese foreign ministers in 2023, to finalize an effective and substantive COC in line with international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), as soon as possible."
COC negotiations between ASEAN and China officially began as early as March 2018 but have progressed slowly due to disputes over legal enforceability, geographical scope, interpretation of "self-restraint," and the invocation of international law.
Philippine Foreign Minister Maria Theresa Lazaro stated in January this year that starting this year, China and ASEAN would hold monthly meetings, striving to complete negotiations within the year. Since then, both sides have held four meetings in Cebu, Singapore, Thailand, and China respectively.
The South China Sea is rich in fishery and energy resources and is an important international waterway. The Philippines, China, Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Taiwan each claim all or part of the sovereignty over this sea area.
In recent years, China and countries such as the Philippines and Vietnam have frequently engaged in confrontations or conflicts in the South China Sea. ASEAN countries hope to establish regional rules of conduct and crisis management mechanisms through the COC to prevent escalation and loss of control.
The chairman's statement also reaffirmed that the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea is the legal framework for all maritime activities, and all parties should "comprehensively and effectively" implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC).
ASEAN and China signed the DOC in 2002, aiming to prevent accidental clashes among surrounding countries in the South China Sea. However, the document is not legally binding, which is why both sides agreed to start negotiating the COC. (Editor: Tang Sheng-yang) 1150509
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(Central News Agency reporter Lin Xing-jian, Manila 9th exclusive report) Leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) reaffirmed their commitment to finalizing an "effective, substantive, and internationally compliant" Code of Conduct (COC) for the South China Sea, in response to maritime security challenges and to maintain regional stability.
ASEAN's 48th Summit was held yesterday in Cebu, a metropolitan area in central Philippines. The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs today issued a chairman's statement, noting that leaders reaffirmed their commitment to advancing COC negotiations but did not set a specific timetable.
The chairman's statement read: "We encourage all parties to fully utilize the 'Guidelines for Accelerating the Early Conclusion of the COC in the South China Sea,' endorsed by the ASEAN and Chinese foreign ministers in 2023, to finalize an effective and substantive COC in line with international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), as soon as possible."
COC negotiations between ASEAN and China officially began as early as March 2018 but have progressed slowly due to disputes over legal enforceability, geographical scope, interpretation of "self-restraint," and the invocation of international law.
Philippine Foreign Minister Maria Theresa Lazaro stated in January this year that starting this year, China and ASEAN would hold monthly meetings, striving to complete negotiations within the year. Since then, both sides have held four meetings in Cebu, Singapore, Thailand, and China respectively.
The South China Sea is rich in fishery and energy resources and is an important international waterway. The Philippines, China, Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Taiwan each claim all or part of the sovereignty over this sea area.
In recent years, China and countries such as the Philippines and Vietnam have frequently engaged in confrontations or conflicts in the South China Sea. ASEAN countries hope to establish regional rules of conduct and crisis management mechanisms through the COC to prevent escalation and loss of control.
The chairman's statement also reaffirmed that the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea is the legal framework for all maritime activities, and all parties should "comprehensively and effectively" implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC).
ASEAN and China signed the DOC in 2002, aiming to prevent accidental clashes among surrounding countries in the South China Sea. However, the document is not legally binding, which is why both sides agreed to start negotiating the COC. (Editor: Tang Sheng-yang) 1150509
Choose to stand with facts, every sponsorship is a force to protect press freedom.
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Text, images, and videos on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, or publicly transmitted and used without authorization.