Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia—President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. said Tuesday that the Philippines will make it a top priority to finalize a Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea (SCS) when it assumes the ASEAN chairmanship in 2026, reaffirming his belief that sustained diplomacy and regional cooperation are vital to securing peace and stability in the disputed waters.
Speaking during a media forum with the Philippines media delegation in here Mr. Marcos said Manila is determined to “hammer out” the long-delayed agreement between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and China to prevent confrontations and ensure adherence to international maritime law.
“At heart, I’m an optimist,” Mr. Marcos said.
“We cannot give up. We have to find the way forward. We have to find a better way of dealing with these things. If this doesn’t work, we’ll try something else. But we cannot stop. We must continue until we find the solution,” he added.
President Marcos said he remains hopeful that ASEAN and China can conclude the negotiations by 2026, a timeline both sides earlier set, coinciding with the Philippines’ turn to lead the regional bloc.
As chairperson, he said the country will prioritize steering the process toward a binding and substantive framework that upholds regional peace and stability.
Asked whether Manila would accept a non-legally binding COC, Marcos was firm that any treaty or agreement signed by states should carry binding force. “If you sign a treaty, you are expected to be bound by it,” he said.
President Marcos added that he would invite Chinese President Xi Jinping to Manila should the negotiations reach a breakthrough.
“Yes, that would not be bad at all. I will certainly invite him,” he said. “If we get to that point where President Xi will actually consider coming to the Philippines, it would mean that we have made significant progress,” President Marcos added.
The president’s remarks underscored his broader call for ASEAN to take the lead in managing regional issues, particularly those involving the South China Sea.
He expressed full support for Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s position that such matters should be resolved within ASEAN and its established mechanisms, free from external interference.
“I fully agree with Prime Minister Anwar. The lead agency should be ASEAN, President Marcos said. “That makes it stronger and more likely for us to find a way forward, to resolve the issues or, failing that, to manage tensions.”
President Marcos’ comments followed his participation in the 47th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits, where he raised concerns over reports that China plans to declare Bajo de Masinloc, or Scarborough Shoal, a marine protected area.
He clarified, however, that his remarks before Chinese Premier Li Qiang and other leaders were not confrontational but intended to present the Philippines’ position clearly and factually.
“I just laid out the facts,” he said. “This is the situation the Philippines finds itself in… so I hope others can help us.”
Despite ongoing maritime frictions, President Marcos said he remains open to redefining the Philippines’ ties with China, emphasizing that their relationship should not be limited to territorial disputes.
“When you talk about China and the Philippines, all you talk about are the territorial disputes,” he said. “But there is huge potential for trade, for exchanges, for all kinds of engagements that do not include these disputes.”
As the Philippines prepares to assume the ASEAN chairmanship, President Marcos said Manila will use its leadership role to advance a balanced approach, one that maintains dialogue, manages disputes peacefully, and strengthens cooperation across economic, security, and environmental fronts.
