Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr says the code of conduct is key to unlocking deeper China-Asean economic cooperation
3-MIN READ3-MIN ListenJean IauPublished: 10:22pm, 8 May 2026Updated: 10:28pm, 8 May 2026Deeper economic cooperation between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations will hinge on whether a code can be laid down to govern maritime territory and activity in the South China Sea, Philippine leader Ferdinand Marcos Jnr has said.“We cannot institutionalise any of those things until the code of conduct is finalised,” he told a press conference on Friday at the close of the 48th Asean summit in Cebu, when asked about aspects that held the most potential in relations between the bloc and Beijing.
He stressed that the move was difficult because Asean member states had different approaches when it came to Beijing.
“We have to incorporate all of that into one single document, which is the code of conduct, so once we have that, then all those questions will be answered,” he said.
