Marcos says ‘more than half’ of ASEAN willing to help
The Philippines led the charge in criticizing Beijing’s illegal and dangerous actions in the hotly disputed South China during the three-day ASEAN and related summits in Laos, with the regional bloc calling for the immediate conclusion of a code of conduct to address maritime conflicts in the area.
President Marcos, who raised the SCS issue in almost all ASEAN meetings and during the Leader’s Retreat in Vientiane, said “more than half” of the members of the bloc offered help to the Philippines amid China’s escalatory actions.
“At some point, there are many offers of help. They say if that is the problem, maybe we could do this, maybe our country can send vessels, maybe we could have joint operations – all these offers which could not come if we did not make our position clear. I explained to them what the present situation is,” Marcos said in a press briefing in the Lao capital before returning to Manila Friday evening.
“There are offers of joint exercises, of continued discussions on how we can keep the South China Sea a peaceful, prosperous area of commerce… So, these are things that perhaps might not be expressed in open sessions but are expressed on the sidelines,” he added.
Beijing claims almost the entirety of the South China Sea, a waterway of immense strategic importance through which trillions of dollars in trade transits every year, but several ASEAN members – the Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia and Brunei – also have competing claims to various small islands and reefs.
During the East Asia Summit, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken reiterated calls for freedom of navigation in the bustling waterway.
“We remain concerned about China’s increasingly dangerous and unlawful actions on the South and East China Seas, which have injured people, harmed vessels from ASEAN nations and contradict commitments to peaceful resolution of disputes,” Blinken said.
Mr. Marcos, in his intervention during the ASEAN-EAS, detailed how China’s ships “illegally blasted horns, used water cannons, and rammed Philippine vessels” within Manila’s 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone.
“These kinds of behavior cannot be ignored, and demand of us concerted and serious efforts to truly manage our disputes in the South China Sea,” he said, adding that one incident occurred “17 nautical miles away from the nearest coastline of the Philippines and 600 nautical miles away from mainland (China).”
Mr. Marcos also reiterated his call for early conclusion of negotiations for a COC in the South China Sea.
“I think the onus is now on China to accelerate those talks. ASEAN has been waiting for a long time,” he told members of the media.
He said the Philippines will retain its presence in the West Philippine Sea regardless of China’s actions.
“Whatever happens, we will maintain that presence … because it is important to show to the world and our people that we are in the business of protecting our sovereignty. We are in the business of protecting our territorial imperatives. We are insisting on exercising our sovereign rights,” Mr. Marcos said.
China, for its part, said it will work with its ASEAN counterparts to “fully and effectively implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea.”
China Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said the situation in the region is “generally stable,” reiterating that Beijing remains committed to settle maritime differences through peaceful dialogue and consultation as long as it was on “the basis of respecting historical facts and international law.”
“China firmly opposes any infringement activities and provocations, and firmly safeguards its own territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests,” Mao said.
“China will continue to work with ASEAN countries to actively advance the consultations of the code of conduct in the South China Sea, and jointly make the South China Sea a sea of peace, friendship and cooperation,” Mao added.
ASEAN leaders and its dialog partners repeated longstanding calls for restraint and respect for international law in the South China Sea during the Laos meetings.
“The South China Sea is a live and immediate issue, with real risks of an accident spiraling into conflict,” Singapore’s Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said.
Malaysian Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan called on claimant-countries “not to ‘slam the door’ but to come together to seek the best solution.”
“An ASEAN-led approach is more suitable as there are several littoral nations such as Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam, and Cambodia, each with their respective claims,” he added. With Vince Lopez and AFP
Editor’s Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline “Marcos reaffirms Philippines’ commitment to ASEAN-US cooperation.”
