Pasay city: The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is expediting discussions to finalize the Code of Conduct (COC) for the South China Sea by 2026, as stated by Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro on Monday. The COC aims to establish a framework for managing tensions in the contested waters of the South China Sea.

According to Philippines News Agency, Lazaro revealed that several rounds of negotiations are planned in the upcoming months to build upon the progress made during talks held in Manila last April. She emphasized the goal of having the ASEAN-China Code of Conduct ready by next year, as directed by the foreign ministers in 2023, during a media briefing in Pasay City.

Malaysia is slated to host the next technical working group meeting in August, followed by another session in Singapore in September, with the final meeting scheduled in China. Lazaro noted that while the process is being accelerated, the discussions remain within established timeframes and are being intensely addressed.

Currently, ASEAN and Beijing are focusing on four critical 'milestone issues' within the COC discussions. These include the relationship between the COC and the non-binding Declaration of Conduct (DOC) on the South China Sea, the legal binding nature of the final document, the geographical scope of the COC, and the definition of terms like self-restraint.

Lazaro identified these as the significant issues that remain unresolved. She explained that discussions would continue based on these topics and expressed optimism about the progress being made.

Looking ahead to 2026, Lazaro mentioned that the Philippines' chairmanship of ASEAN would concentrate on three 'cross-cutting' issues: peace and security, maritime cooperation, and climate change.