Despite Beijing’s plans to build monitoring stations in the South China Sea, President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday vowed to finish within the Philippine chairmanship the final crafting of a framework for a legally binding “code of conduct” among members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and China as he underscored the need to maintain peace and stability in the region. Speaking at a joint press conference with Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha at the Thai Government Building in Bangkok, Duterte insisted the need to respect the freedom of navigation and overflight within the disputed waters. In July last year, foreign ministers of Asean and China “committed to the full and effective implementation of the DOC in its entry and working substantively towards the early adoption of a code of conduct in the South China Sea based on consensus.”

Bencito, J. P. (2017, March 22). Duterte seeks to affirm Asean code of conduct. Manila Standard, p. A2.