SINGAPORE — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. expressed doubt that the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Beijing can finalize the long-overdue South China Sea Code of Conduct (COC) ahead of the November leadership transition, though he remains open to bilateral energy partnerships.
Speaking during an interview in Singapore, President Marcos noted that while discussions have achieved substantial headway, he cannot guarantee a completed pact before the Philippines passes the regional bloc’s chairmanship. Despite the timeline uncertainty, he emphasized that Manila will keep pushing for the regional framework.
“It’s very hard to say that ‘Okay, we will finish it by November,’” Marcos stated.
“So I’m not confident to say that it will be done. But what I will say is that we have made a great deal of progress, and we will continue to work,” he added.
The proposed agreement seeks to govern behaviors and mitigate friction in the disputed waters. Although negotiations have pressed forward with frequent meetings, issues regarding enforcement, boundaries, and legal definitions continue to pose hurdles.
Meanwhile, Marcos maintained an optimistic stance on pursuing joint oil and gas resource extraction with China, asserting that economic ventures can proceed separately from ongoing territorial disputes.
“Yes, I absolutely do. I don’t see why we cannot do that,” Marcos remarked when questioned about the cooperative proposal.
“I think both countries would like to pursue [it], and I think that if we keep it at a purely commercial level and do not enter into territorial conflicts and a resolution of who owns what and who belongs where, what law will apply — so long as we can come to an agreement on that, I don’t see why we should not be able to have that partnership,” he explained.
He added that a successful commercial understanding could act as a major diplomatic milestone, potentially easing broader regional tensions between the two nations.