PH eyeing completion of South China Sea code during 2026 ASEAN chairship

Manila Bulletin

Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro is hopeful that the Philippines’ chairship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will witness the completion of the Code of Conduct (COC) for the South China Sea amid escalating regional tensions between China, the Philippines, and the other claimants. (via Raymund Antonio | MB)  READ: https://mb.com.ph/2025/11/17/ph-eyeing-completion-of-south-china-sea-code-during-2026-asean-chairship  Subscribe to the Manila Bulletin Online channel! - https://www.youtube.com/TheManilaBulletin  Visit our website at http://mb.com.ph Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/manilabulletin Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/manila_bulletin Instagram: https://instagram.com/manilabulletin Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com @manilabulletin  #ManilaBulletinOnline #ManilaBulletin #LatestNews

Transcript

00:00It's almost several years that this discussion is going on and I think there is already a sense

00:08among ASEAN and China that our code of conduct will be concluded.

00:20However, we're just finishing, there's supposed to be a meeting in China,

00:26but I think it will just be postponed, but that will be the last of that under the chairship of Malaysia.

00:33Again, this issue was discussed during our first, during our retreat, one of the subjects of discussion,

00:39during our retreat in January with the other foreign ministers.

00:44Confidence, if you're asking about confidence, but I go back to the position taken or the decision taken

00:52by the foreign ministers in 2023 that they already mandated that this code of conduct

01:00should be finished within three years.

01:02And we have, of course, technically until July 2026, but it is indeed our intention.

01:11And I think it is also the aspiration of all of ASEAN and even China to finish and to come up with a code of conduct.

01:22So, the question is, is there all of you that are in a public where the people of the general

01:37however the other people of the public who believe in the world have been doing this project.

01:41And that's how I look forward to it, I think it is worked out for you to be in a public field of

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