Philippine Foreign Secretary Theresa Lazaro expressed cautious optimism that long-stalled negotiations between China and Southeast Asian nations on a code of conduct (COC) for the South China Sea could finally be concluded this year, signaling a potential shift in regional diplomacy amid rising maritime tensions. Lazaro said the Philippines, which holds the rotating chairmanship of ASEAN in 2024, is committed to keeping the talks moving forward and ensuring the outcome is meaningful, enforceable, and aligned with international law.
In a recent interview with The Japan Times, Lazaro emphasized that all ASEAN member states and China remain politically committed to finalizing the COC within the year, even as the negotiations tackle “milestone issues and the remaining paragraphs” of the agreement. She described steady progress through successive discussion rounds, saying each session brings the parties closer to a document that could have “real meaning on the ground.” The Philippines has made maritime security a central priority during its ASEAN chairmanship, and Lazaro framed Manila’s role as a facilitator that can sustain the momentum generated in 2023, when ASEAN foreign ministers and their Chinese counterpart agreed on a timeline and guidelines to accelerate the talks.
The COC negotiations have dragged on for two decades, with ASEAN and China trying to craft a framework grounded in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The goal is to reduce the risk of confrontation amid competing territorial claims from Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan, China, Vietnam, and the Philippines. But deep divisions persist over critical issues such as the maritime scope of the agreement, the role of external actors, and whether the code should be legally binding. These disagreements are compounded by ASEAN’s consensus-based decision-making model, which can slow progress at a time when member states’ interests increasingly diverge. Beijing’s preference for bilateral engagement has also made collective balancing within ASEAN more difficult.
Lazaro acknowledged the complexity of the task, noting that while not all parties see eye to eye, ASEAN’s mechanisms exist precisely to bridge such differences through sustained dialogue. She stressed that the ultimate success of the COC will depend on “continued political will, constructive engagement, and most importantly, consensus, among all parties.” For Manila, the objective is not merely to sign an agreement, but to ensure it is “effective and substantive,” capable of building trust, preventing incidents, and upholding international law—particularly UNCLOS. Lazaro’s remarks come against a backdrop of intensifying disputes, including Beijing’s construction of artificial islands and repeated gray-zone tactics to assert control over the South China Sea, despite a 2016 international tribunal ruling invalidating China’s expansive claims.
The Philippines’ diplomatic push for a credible COC also intersects with broader regional security dynamics, including the deepening ties between Manila and Tokyo. Lazaro highlighted growing cooperation with Japan in areas such as security, economic resilience, humanitarian assistance, and infrastructure development, noting that bilateral relations are strengthening ahead of the 70th anniversary of diplomatic ties next year. She pointed to a recent visit to Manila by Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, during which both countries signed an agreement allowing their armed forces to share fuel, food, and services. The move is designed to support expanded military cooperation following the entry into force of a bilateral visiting-forces agreement last year. Japan will also provide military aid for a third consecutive year, with funding allocated for boathouses and slipways for Philippine Navy vessels, building on coastal radar systems delivered earlier this month.
Looking beyond traditional security cooperation, Lazaro said the partnership with Japan could expand into emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, energy transition, climate resilience, and human resource development. She described these areas as reflecting shared interests in building a “resilient, forward-looking partnership” that delivers tangible benefits to both peoples. As the Philippines seeks to steer the ASEAN-China COC talks toward a decisive conclusion, Manila is simultaneously strengthening strategic partnerships to bolster regional stability and counterbalance rising tensions in the contested waters of the South China Sea.
