Code of Conduct

Philippine-China Relations Under Siege 2.0

Time and again, the deceptive and misleading “Chinese Threat” rhetoric has been hyped-up by the political detractors of the Duterte administration and by some mainstream media outlets; capitalising on the current skirmish in the South China Sea (SCS) involving the alleged more than 200 Chinese fishing vessels spotted in the Whitsun Reef or commonly known to Filipinos as the Julian Felipe Reef. One of the obvious reasons is to discredit President Rodrigo Duterte’s “rapprochement” poli

18 April 2021
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South China Sea: Wise To Provoke China?

In the post-Cold War era, the formation and the creation of regional groups like ASEAN and the European Union (EU) bears the promise of promoting not only regional bargaining economic power but as alternative mechanisms and structures in facilitating and consolidating regional peace, security, and stability within the territorial boundaries of these regional groupings and beyond. Regional blocs like ASEAN were established in an attempt to facilitate and promote regional collective pe

14 February 2021
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Beijing 'Ready To Work' With ASEAN

Beijing said Sunday it is "ready to work" with Southeast Asian nations on a code of conduct in the flashpoint South China Sea, where it is accused of building up military installations and bullying fellow claimants.China claims most of the resource-rich waterway, a major global shipping route that has long been a source of tension in the region.For years, the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has been locked in talks for a code of conduct for the sea, where Ch

4 November 2019
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ASEAN leaders to push for China-backed trade pact

Southeast Asian leaders will race to get a sprawling China-backed trade pact over the line at a regional meeting in Thailand this weekend, as Beijing's bruising trade war with Washington rumbles on.If signed, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) will be the world's largest trade pact and is seen as a way for Beijing to cement trade ties in Asia as Washington retreats from the region.Leaders are hoping for a breakthrough in RCEP talks at this weekend's meeting

2 November 2019
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Experts agree COC will take time

The South China Sea’s Code Of Conduct (COC) will likely be on the agenda at this week’s ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Retreat, but analysts do not expect any major breakthroughs to be reached in Chiang Mai.The northern Thai city is the venue for the 17-18 January meeting which marks the first time Thailand plays host as the new chair for the 10-member bloc this year.Busadee Santipitaks, the Director-General of the Department of Information and Spokesperson for the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs,

15 January 2019
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ASEAN: Outlook for 2019 Part 2

Aside from election fever and concerns over free trade, it is likely that Southeast Asia will play a much bigger role in global geopolitics in 2019.

7 January 2019
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Policing The South China Sea

At the recently concluded 33rd ASEAN Summit, ASEAN member states expressed their desire to complete the Single Draft Negotiating Text for the Code of Conduct (COC) by next year to resolve the maritime dispute in the South China Sea.

21 November 2018
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South China Sea dispute: An end in sight?

The South China Sea dispute would be one of the more pertinent priorities on the minds of diplomats as they head to Singapore for the 33rd ASEAN Summit and other related meetings. The dispute has for the longest time been a thorn in the flesh of relations between claimant Southeast Asian states – the Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam and Brunei – and China, and for good reason.

13 November 2018
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Making China play by the rules

On the agenda for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) this year – as it has been for many years before – is the South China Sea dispute. Singapore, as chairman of ASEAN will go into the year with the foundations towards dispute resolution seemingly made. Last November, China and ASEAN formally announced the start of negotiations for a Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea.

17 January 2018
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