The leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on Wednesday discussed progress on the South China Sea and agreed that the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) should be the basis of the organization to resolve maritime disputes, Thai sefisaid cial.
Nikorndej Balankura, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand, said that the issue of ASEAN unity and prioritizing its importance was emphasized again during the withdrawal of ASEAN leaders from Laos.
Also on Wednesday, the Philippine presidential palace said that President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. he was to join other ASEAN leaders to “meet” representatives of the ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ABAC) in Vientiane.
The President will reiterate the Philippines’ commitment to working with the private sector to advance ASEAN’s goals and objectives and ask the council to play a leading role in shaping the region’s economy.
Meanwhile, the Philippines and Vietnam said they are exploring more areas of cooperation to strengthen the strategic partnership they signed in 2015 that includes defense and maritime ties.
President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. and the Prime Minister of Vietnam Pham Minh Chinh issued this statement on the side of 44.th and 45th ASEAN summits in Laos.
“We have made good progress since our first conversation and the rest of the dialogue between our two countries,” he told the leader of the $409 billion economy, based on a statement from the presidential palace in Manila.
“And I’m very happy that we will be able to follow that. It also gives us the opportunity to explore new areas of cooperation and collaboration,” he added.
Mr. Chinh, for his part, confirmed Vietnam’s commitment to its strategic relationship with the Philippines.
“I want to assure you that we always support good relations with the Philippines,” he said. “I am happy to note that the negotiations that started two years ago have been successfully implemented.”
The two countries in November 2015 agreed on their strategic relationship which includes political and economic cooperation, defense and maritime relations, among others.
Vietnam and the Philippines in January signed an agreement to increase cooperation between coast guards, amid China’s assertiveness in the South China Sea.
The two countries have also entered into a relationship on rice trade and the prevention of accidents in the South China Sea, which Beijing says is almost complete.
One of the features of the South China Sea that has become the source of tension between the three countries is the Scarborough Shoal, which is 600 kilometers away from the Philippine province of Palawan.
A 2016 ruling that rejected China’s claims in the South China Sea said the boat was a traditional fishing ground for Filipino, Chinese and Vietnamese fishermen. China has controlled the death toll since 2012.
Data from the General Department of Vietnam Customs showed that Hanoi posted a trade surplus of 2.41 billion with Manila in the first eight months of 2024. Their foreign trade increased by 21% to $5.7 billion from last year.
The Philippines’ imports from Vietnam reached $4.07 billion during the eight-month period, up 17%, with rice worth $1.71 billion as the top import. Rice is the only Vietnamese export to the Philippines that exceeds $1 billion.
The Philippine government in June reduced the price of rice purchases to 15% from 35% effective in August until 2028, as it seeks to cool food inflation.
Vietnam accounts for 80% of the Philippines’ rice exports, having shipped 1.44 million tons of goods as of May 23.
Mr. Marcos and Mr. Chinh first discussed the rice agreement during their bilateral meeting alongside the 43.rd ASEAN Summit in Jakarta in September last year.
At that time, Mr. Marcos said his country hopes Vietnam will be an important partner in its transition to electric vehicles.
FACE BUDGET
Meanwhile, Senator Joseph Victor G. Ejercito pushed for funding of at least P100 billion for the modernization of the Philippine military, citing the need for more missile systems and warplanes to counter Chinese aggression at sea.
“The purchase and production of defense equipment takes time, and we really need this as we no longer want to be exploited by China,” he told a news conference. Mr. Ejercito told a news conference.
The House of Representatives approved on final reading the national budget bill for next year, which allocates P204.4 billion to the Philippine Army, Air Force and Navy. Lawmakers also allocated P50 billion in efforts to develop the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. on Tuesday he signed a bill that requires the government to create a state of defense that relies on local producers.
The US Navy, Marine Corps and their Philippine counterparts on Monday began their two-week military exercises in Subic Bay in the northern Philippines with the aim of improving interoperability between their forces.
The Navy and Marine Corps will conduct high-powered exercises focusing on anti-submarine warfare, air and anti-surface warfare, and the use of maritime surveillance aircraft, according to the US Department of Defense.
Mr. Ejercito said the government should increase military resources to deal with the crisis with Beijing in the South China Sea.
Chinese ships on Tuesday opened fire on two Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) vessels delivering goods for Filipino fishermen in Scarborough Shoal, BFAR said.
“We really need to focus on foreign defense or buying separate fighters, warships and missile systems,” said the deputy Senate majority leader. “This is only to stop the anger.”
China claims almost the entire South China Sea, including parts claimed by the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam.
Parts of the waterway, through which three billion dollars worth of trade passes annually, are believed to be rich in oil and natural gas, as well as fish.
Senators have been pushing the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs to make a resolution with the UN body condemning China’s aggression in the South China Sea.
Manila also looked to raise its dispute with China in ASEAN when it takes over the regional body in 2027.
ASEAN and China have been in talks since 2002 to develop a code of conduct in the South China Sea.
In 2016, a United Nations-backed tribunal based in The Hague dismissed China’s claim to more than 80% of the South China Sea as illegal.
The Philippines has not been able to enforce the ruling and has since filed hundreds of protests over what it calls piracy and harassment by China’s coast guard and dozens of its fishing vessels.
“We don’t want war, but we are protecting our territory and what is rightfully ours,” said Mr. Ejercito. – Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza again John Victor D. Ordoñez, with Reuters
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