What’s behind escalating China-Philippines tensions in the South China Sea?
Al Jazeera
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr raises concerns at key regional summit, and calls for more urgency in reaching a code of conduct for the disputed waters.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr has called for more urgency in negotiations on a code of conduct for the disputed South China Sea, as he accused China of “harassment and intimidation” in the waterway.
Marcos Jr told leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Chinese Premier Li Qiang, Marcos that substantive progress on the code was necessary and all parties must “be earnestly open to seriously managing differences” and reducing tension.
“There should be more urgency in the pace of the negotiations of the ASEAN-China code of conduct,” Marcos said on Thursday, according to a statement from his office.
The idea of a maritime code was first agreed between China and ASEAN in 2002, but substantive negotiations on its content did not begin until 2017.
“It is regrettable that the overall situation in the South China Sea remains tense and unchanged. We continue to be subjected to harassment and intimidation,” the statement added.
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