Marcos to push for sea code anew at ASEAN summit in Kuala Lumpur

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May 22, 2025 | 6:48pm

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is expected to push for progress anew on the long-delayed South China Sea code of conduct at the 46th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia next week.

"The President certainly will push for it, he will raise this with the leaders of the ASEAN," Department of Foreign Affairs Deputy Assistant Secretary Dominic Xavier Imperial said at a press briefing on Thursday, May 22. 

The Philippines has repeatedly sought the finalization of a binding code of conduct that will manage tensions in the South China Sea, where Beijing's nine-dash line claim overlaps with the Philippines and other ASEAN countries' maritime zones. 

Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo said last month that he believes China and all ASEAN member-states are "politically committed" to completing the code by 2026 — the year the Philippines chairs the 10-member regional bloc.

But negotiations for the code has stalled for over two decades due to disagreements over its scope. China wants the code to ban the conduct of joint military exercises with countries outside the region and limit the joint development of resources in the South China Sea to only China and Southeast Asian countries.

The DFA official recalled that in 2023, the ASEAN foreign ministers adopted guidelines to fast-track the passage of the code of conduct. This, Imperial said, is "what we are backing on during the summits." 

"Going back to that statement, it’s a reaffirmation of concluding it hopefully among ASEAN and China. In three years since 2023 so we’re looking at 2026, next year," the DFA official said.

Marcos is scheduled to participate in nine high-level engagements during the ASEAN-Gulf Cooperation Council summit from May 26 to 27. 

During the meetings, the Philippine president is expected to continue underscoring the the country's sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction in accordance with international law, including the 1982 UNCLOS and the 2016 arbitral award, Imperial said.

The summits are expected to produce at least 22 outcome documents, some of which will be adopted, while some will be noted, Imperial sad.  

Marcos will also "possibly have a number of bilateral meetings with his counterparts at the sidelines of the summits," Imperial added.