KUALA LUMPUR — President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. revealed that he did not get the chance to discuss the West Philippine Sea issue with Chinese Premier Li Qiang during the ASEAN Summit in Malaysia.
During a press briefing before returning to Manila, Marcos clarified that while he was seated next to Li Qiang at lunch, their brief conversation focused solely on the United States’ newly imposed unilateral tariffs.
“I asked him about China’s perspective on the new U.S. tariff schedule,” Marcos said, noting that there was no formal discussion about maritime disputes.
Despite missing the opportunity to bring up the West Philippine Sea, Marcos reiterated his consistent push for a binding Code of Conduct in the South China Sea. He emphasized its importance in avoiding escalation.
“If we have a Code of Conduct, it’s like a freeze-frame — we stop where we are and talk,” he explained. “It would also include mechanisms for adjudication and de-escalation.”
China continues to assert expansive claims over the South China Sea, overlapping with the territorial claims of the Philippines and other Southeast Asian nations. A 2016 ruling from the Permanent Court of Arbitration invalidated China’s sweeping claims, but Beijing refuses to recognize the decision.