An official of the Department of Foreign Affairs has denied that China had attempted to influence the Association of Southeast Asian Nations heads of states in crafting their ASEAN joint statement.
According to Zaldy Patron, DFA’s executive director for ASEAN affairs, the regional bloc’s leaders just expressed optimism that there will be “good progress” as the code of conduct (COC) framework in the contested waters is expected to be completed by the middle of this year.
“Whereas before, China and ASEAN member-states do not even want to start discussion on the framework of Code of Conduct. But under the Philippine chairmanship, we have seen a lot of movements in the discussion. And China has already made an announcement that it’s also supportive of having a framework of the COC,” Patron said in a press briefing in Malacañang.
He added that “there was no one” among the ASEAN leaders who “strongly pushed or mentioned anything about land reclamation and militarization in the South China Sea.
“There was no one who strongly pushed or mentioned anything about land reclamation and militarization, [as well as the arbitral ruling],” Patron said.
“On the other hand, the [ASEAN] leaders highlighted the improving relations between the ASEAN member-states or ASEAN and China, and the need to conclude a framework for the code of conduct. So that was the emphasis given,” he added.
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