The Philippines has called on ASEAN nations to wrap up negotiations on a code of conduct in the disputed South China Sea, a move experts say reflects Manila’s growing frustration with Beijing's attempts to exploit the Southeast Asian bloc’s diverging priorities as well its consensus-based model for decision-making.
Speaking at an Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ summit in Kuala Lumpur that touted bloc unity, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday underscored the “urgent need” to accelerate the adoption of a “legally binding” code to safeguard maritime rights and prevent “miscalculations at sea.”
Manila’s call on the 10-member bloc comes as the situation between China and the Philippines has turned particularly tense, with the resource-rich waters now being the scene of regular ship collisions and rammings, and as the Chinese side repeatedly deploys flares and water cannons.
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