Marcos says ‘good progress’ made on South China Sea code of conduct

SINGAPORE — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Thursday said negotiations for a Code of Conduct in the South China Sea were making “good progress,” expressing optimism that the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) and China could reach an agreement to prevent maritime confrontations from escalating.

Marcos said the proposed agreement was crucial to managing tensions in the disputed waters, warning that a mistake by a sailor or soldier could trigger a wider confrontation.

“We’re working very, very hard, we’re making good progress as a matter of fact, in terms of the code of conduct,” Marcos told Forbes Chair and editor-in-chief Steve Forbes during an onstage discussion at the 24th Forbes Global CEO Conference.

The president acknowledged that negotiations had been difficult, with disagreements persisting even over the wording of the proposed agreement.

READ: Marcos off to Singapore for 2-day working visit

“The discussions have been going on for a while, and sometimes it’s a bit frustrating that just the definitions of ordinary words are becoming bones of contention,” he said.

“But we are determined to come to an agreement and to hopefully de-escalate the situation,” he added.

Marcos said the agreement was necessary to prevent incidents in the South China Sea, where competing maritime claims have led to repeated confrontations.

He acknowledged, however, that the Philippines might have to settle for managing its dispute with China rather than resolving it entirely.

“I don’t know if we will, if we can find a resolution to the problem, but we are resigned to just being able to manage the problem so that we do not have mistakes, we don’t have misunderstandings,” Marcos said.

“My greatest fear is that some seaman, some soldier just makes a mistake, and that mistake turns into something that goes out of control,” he added.

The proposed Code of Conduct is intended to establish rules governing the behavior of countries in the disputed waters and prevent incidents that could lead to armed conflict.

Asean and China adopted the nonbinding Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea in 2002, but negotiations for a more substantive agreement have continued for years.

In July, Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro said Asean and China were aiming to conclude negotiations by the end of 2026, with negotiators holding monthly meetings since January.

READ: Asean, China target year-end SCS code of conduct-experts see hurdles

Lazaro said the parties were working through outstanding issues, including the agreement’s legal status, geographical scope and the definition of key terms.

Marcos did not announce a new deadline for the negotiations during Thursday’s discussion.

The President also emphasized the importance of maintaining freedom of navigation in the South China Sea, a major shipping route for international trade.

“We must maintain the peace, we must maintain the freedom of navigation, not only for ourselves, but also for the rest of the world,” he said.

Marcos maintained that defending the Philippines’ territory and maritime rights was part of his constitutional duty, citing international law, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos).

‘West Philippine Sea’

He also explained why the Philippines refers to maritime areas west of the country as the West Philippine Sea, rejecting the notion that the name South China Sea implied Chinese ownership.

“Because part of the claim was that, look, it’s called China, so South China Sea, so it must belong to China,” Marcos said.

The Philippines formally adopted the designation West Philippine Sea under Administrative Order No. 29, issued in September 2012, covering maritime areas west of the archipelago, including waters around the Kalayaan Island Group and Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal.

His remarks came amid continuing tensions between Manila and Beijing in the West Philippine Sea.

On Sept. 24, Philippine authorities suspended a rotation and resupply mission to BRP Sierra Madre at Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal after Chinese coast guard and naval vessels interfered with the operation while the Philippine ships were still about 111 kilometers, from their destination.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines said three Chinese naval vessels, including two Houbei-class missile boats, and five China Coast Guard ships were involved in the incident.

The interruption raised questions about the implementation of a provisional understanding reached by Manila and Beijing in July 2024 to manage resupply missions to the grounded Philippine Navy ship.

China claims sovereignty over nearly the entire South China Sea, including waters within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.

A 2016 arbitral tribunal ruled that China’s claims to historic rights within its nine-dash line had no legal basis under Unclos. Beijing has rejected the ruling.

Marcos has repeatedly maintained that the Philippines would defend its maritime rights while pursuing diplomatic efforts to prevent tensions from escalating.

The President’s remarks at the Forbes conference came during his five-day working visit to Singapore from Oct. 7 to 11, which includes engagements with Singaporean officials and business leaders. /mr

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