Philippines: ASEAN-China South China Sea agreement close

Detailed summary

The foreign secretary of the Philippines says ASEAN and China are making progress on a code of conduct in the South China Sea. She says both sides want to finalize an agreement by…

The foreign secretary of the Philippines says ASEAN and China are making progress on a code of conduct in the South China Sea. She says both sides want to finalize an agreement by the end of the year.

Tensions are rising between China and the Philippines over competing territorial claims in the South China Sea. Maritime disputes are expected to be one of the main topics at the ASEAN summit, which begins on Sunday. The Philippines is this year's ASEAN chair.

Philippine Foreign Secretary Maria Theresa Lazaro spoke to NHK in an exclusive interview ahead of the meeting. She said "the most important thing is the conclusion" of negotiations over the code of conduct.

She added that discussions were still ongoing and that she hoped there would be a statement on the matter in December.

The issue of whether Myanmar can once again fully participate in ASEAN activities is expected to be another key topic at the summit.

Lazaro said there is no consensus among member states on whether to allow the country back into the fold. She said they first want to see how much progress Myanmar has made in implementing ASEAN's five-point peace plan, which includes an immediate end to violence.

Opening of the article, excerpted from NHK World. To read the rest, open the article on the publisher's site.