Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo on Monday said that “milestone issues” were discussed during the resumption of negotiations for the long-delayed Code of Conduct (CoC) in the South China Sea of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and China.

“We started a discussion on the so-called milestone issues, especially the relationship between the DoC — the one adopted in 2002 — and the Code of Conduct, [on] what would be the relationship,” Manalo told reporters in an interview.

Milestone issues refer to the most contentious issues surrounding the CoC, such as the scope of the code and whether it would be legally binding.

The DoC, or the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, was signed by members of ASEAN and China in Cambodia in 2002.

The DoC outlines principles for resolving disputes, including a commitment to peace and security, freedom of navigation, and self-restraint in activities.

Four of the 10 ASEAN members — Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines and Brunei — are primary claimants in the resource-rich South China Sea (SCS).

The countries have overlapping claims with China, which asserts control over the vast SCS, including the West Philippine Sea (WPS), an area well within the Philippines’ 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone.

Adhere to UNCLOS

According to Manalo, the latest round of negotiations to conclude the ASEAN-China CoC was also an opportunity for the Philippines to tackle issues such as the conflict in the WPS.

“Well, of course, that is all related. In fact, that is one of the reasons why we need a code,” he said.

The Philippines hosted the resumption of CoC negotiations from 9 to 11 April, setting the stage for the meeting of the Joint Working Group on the Implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea.

In an earlier statement, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said the meeting provided an opportunity for the Philippines to strongly emphasize the importance of adhering to international law, particularly the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the 2016 South China Sea Arbitral Award.

“The Philippines voiced its concerns over the situation in the West Philippine Sea, especially recent incidents that posed risks to Philippine vessels and personnel, and actions by other countries that infringed on the Philippines’ sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction,” the DFA said.

“The Philippines also reiterated its commitment to resolving the disputes peacefully and to pursue constructive diplomatic approaches in managing the differences at sea,” it added.