The Philippines told countries outside Southeast Asia on Monday not to use the region as "a proxy for their rivalry" as it wanted to preserve unity and establish a mechanism to resolve disputes in the South China Sea.
The Philippines is chairing the 10-member Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) this year and will host its annual meetings, some of which are joined by outside powers, including China and the United States.
The issue of territorial disputes in the South China Sea pitting China against several Southeast Asian countries has in recent years emerged as a source of friction in the bloc.