Philippines remains confident that the Code of Conduct on the South China Sea will be finished this year
The Philippines remained confident that the Code of Conduct (COC) on the South China Sea would be concluded within the year.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. during the 48th ASEAN Summit - Plenary last May in Cebu. Official handout.
Anna Mogato | July 17, 2026
MANILA — The Philippines remained confident that the Code of Conduct (COC) on the South China Sea would be concluded within the year.
Dominic Xavier Imperial, Deputy Director-General and ASEAN 2026 Spokesperson, told a press briefing on Thursday that they see commitment from ASEAN member states and China to “come up with a substantive and effective” COC.
“When it comes to the COC, we’re happy to say that there is continuing progress in terms of the number of meetings that have happened so far,” Imperial said.
“I think the latest we had was in Vietnam, and I believe the Philippines will also host another meeting. So there’s the commitment there. We see progress, and we still are confident that within the year we will see something coming out of these negotiations.”
ASEAN foreign ministers in 2023 agreed to set a three-year deadline to complete the negotiations; however, the terms of reference within the document remain a point of contention for multiple parties. (Also read: The Philippines as ASEAN Chair Should Build Bridges of Cooperation Through a Code of Conduct in the South China Sea)
“So now, fast-forward to 2026, we have added more meetings to help conclude the negotiations,” he said. “We are still discussing the milestone issues, but it doesn’t mean that while we’re there, nothing is moving.” (Also read: Teodoro calls on a coalition to resist China)
Aside from the COC, Imperial also said that they are looking forward to new developments towards the implementation of the ASEAN Petroleum Security Agreement (APSA).
“So at the moment, all ASEAN member states are committed to ratifying, and hopefully we can have APSA operationalized,” Imperial said.
“I can’t predict what will be discussed, but certainly it will be part of the discussion only because the agenda items will cover economic cooperation among ASEAN members.”
Foreign ministers last May pushed for the full implementation of the energy-sharing agreement among member states as the world grappled with tight oil supply amid the conflict in the Middle East that shut down the Strait of Hormuz. (Also read: Marcos seeks oil and fertilizer in Russia)
A negotiated joint communiqués is expected to be released following the slew of meetings from July 19 to 23. The official start of the AMM will be on the 21st, when ministers will exchange views on regional and international developments.
Post-ministerial conferences with the United States, Canada, Russia, China, the Republic of Korea, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the European Union are scheduled on the 22nd.
The AMM will conclude on the 23rd with the ASEAN Plus 3 foreign ministers meeting, the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), and the East Asian Summit.
“Together, these platforms underscore ASEAN’s central role in promoting dialogue, confidence-building measures, preventive diplomacy across the Indo-Pacific, as well as strengthening cooperation in food and energy security,” Imperial said.
A commemorative activity of the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC) will conclude the week-long event. The TAC serves as a legally binding peace treaty among ASEAN member states.