The Philippines doubts China’s intention to negotiate a regional code of conduct in the South China Sea although Manila is looking forward to continuing discussions, Defence Minister Gilberto Teodoro said on Monday.
Teodoro said that while President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr had approved “good-faith discussions” with China over the long-delayed code, he doubted Beijing’s sincerity.
“Right now, honestly speaking, I do not see that,” Teodoro told reporters.
China’s embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Southeast Asian leaders called on Sunday for swift agreement on a code of conduct for the South China Sea based on international law, after escalating confrontations in the strategic waterway where US$3 trillion worth of trade passes annually.
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History, money and military: why the South China Sea is so important to Beijing
History, money and military: why the South China Sea is so important to Beijing
China claims sovereignty over nearly all of the South China Sea, including areas claimed by Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam.