00:00The Philippines says it is pushing to conclude long-running negotiations on a South China Sea Code of Conduct this year
00:06as it assumes the ASEAN chairmanship.
00:09Speaking in Singapore, Foreign Secretary Teresa Lazzaro says efforts to finalise the agreement are being stepped up.
00:18ASEAN and China plan to increase working group meetings from quarterly to monthly,
00:23supported by more frequent senior officials' discussions.
00:26Talks on the Code have stretched on for years, stalled by disagreements over its scope,
00:31enforcement mechanisms and whether it should be legally binding.
00:35Four ASEAN members, Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam, claim parts of the disputed waterway.
00:41China, however, asserts sovereignty over most of the South China Sea,
00:45despite an international ruling that rejected the legal basis for its claims.
00:50While Lazzaro acknowledged that completion is not guaranteed,
00:53she said momentum has improved and expressed cautious optimism as negotiations enter the next phase.
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