Code of Conduct with China might not work

Photo by PhilStar

DFA spokesperson Charles Jose said that China’s agreement to Code of Conduct in the South China Sea might not be enough to give guarantee that Beijing is committed to peacefully settle the ongoing disputes in the contested waters.

After a meeting last week, China and Asean senior ministers mutually agreed to finish the general framework of the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea. However, according to Jose, China has yet to prove its political commitment to resolve the disputes.


“It should be noted that this is only the general framework [of the COC], this is only the skeleton or outline of the COC, we need to put the flesh on the bone,” Joe said on Thursday.

He insisted that China’s presence in Scarborough remains to be a violation of the Declaraiton of Conduct in the South China Sea which was signed by China and Asean in 2002. Jose called on to the parties in the South China Sea to exercise self-restraint and work with to maintain peace and stability in the region.

He also said that the Philippine government does continued monitoring of Chinese military activities in the disputed waters. “We continue to call on all parties to refrain from doing anything that would escalate the tension. And we continue all parties to exercise self-restraint and work with the regional effort to promote peace security and stability in the region.”

Vietnam, Brunei, and Malaysia are other four Asean members that are also claimants to the waters of South China Sea. While the Philippines won its exclusive rights, China’s military presence and activities in the area continues to be a cause of concern in the international community. ASCS

Source: Inquirer

Love this article? Sharing is caring!