MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines and Vietnam vowed to strengthen their collaboration on maritime issues in regional and multilateral bodies, with the conclusion of a “substantive” Code of Conduct on the South China Sea among their priorities.
China’s sweeping nine-dash-line claim overlaps with the exclusive economic zones of Vietnam and the Philippines. Both countries have had incidents with Chinese vessels either intercepting or harassing their fisherfolk in their waters.
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“The two countries expressed serious concern over unilateral activities that undermine peace and stability in the region,” the Department of Foreign Affairs said in a statement dated May 17.
“They committed to work together to protect their rights and legitimate interests under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and enhance confidence-building measures between relevant agencies.”
China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations are still working on the South China Sea Code of Conduct. China has stressed that tension in the region should be addressed through bilateral dialogues and engagement with countries in the South China Sea — a rebuke at involvement by the US, which it has accused of stirring up trouble from afar.
The DFA said last December that the preambular — or introductory — part of the document has been finalized but noted that “there is an unwritten agreement among ASEAN member states and China that nothing is finalized until everything is finalized.”
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong in a televised interview on Wednesday urged ASEAN “not to agree on anything less than their rights.” Canberra has said that the South China Sea and the West Philippine Sea is an important international trade route.
The Philippines-Vietnam Joint Permanent Working Group on Maritime and Ocean Concerns (JWG-MOC) was held from May 15 to 16, just days after President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh met on the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit.
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Manila and Hanoi explored enhancing joint activities — specifically in marine scientific research, meteorology, marine environment protection, search and rescue, oil spill preparedness and response, and fisheries – as well as improving maritime trade.
Aside from diplomats from the DFA, officials from the Department of National Defense, National Security Council, the Philippine Coast Guard, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, and the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority joined the JWG-MOC to meet with their counterparts.