ASEAN, China must start tackling thorny issues of South China Sea code: Philippines

By Reuters
January 19, 2025
Philippines' Foreign Minister Enrique Manalo attends an interview during ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Retreat in Langkawi, Malaysia January 18, 2025. — Reuters

LANGKAWI, Malaysia:The regional bloc ASEAN and China should make headway on a protracted code of conduct for the South China Sea by tackling thorny “milestone issues”, including its scope and if it can be legally binding, the Philippines’ top diplomat said on Saturday.

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In an interview ahead of Sunday’s meeting with his ASEAN counterparts on the Malaysian island of Langkawi, Philippine Foreign Minister Enrique Manalo said discussions on a code were well underway, but it was time to start thrashing out the meatier, trickier aspects.

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