The Philippines is negotiating a separate code of conduct (COC) with other Southeast Asian countries with which the Philippines has a territorial dispute over the West Philippine Sea, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said on Sunday.

“We are now in the midst of negotiating our own code of conduct ,for example, with Vietnam because we are still waiting for the code of conduct between China and ASEAN and the progress has been rather slow unfortunately and so we’ve taken the initiative to approach those other countries around ASEAN with whom we have existing territorial conflicts,” President Marcos said during a question and answer session in the Daniel Inouye Speaker Series at the Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies in Honolulu.

“And to make our own code of conduct and hopefully this will grow further in the extent — into the other ASEAN countries and at the very least we have that basis between — not only in the multilateral sphere as in ASEAN or APEC, all of these other organizations but also bilaterally with the different countries around ASEAN whom we have conflicts with, but with whom, I think, we can find a way to maintain the status quo,” he stated.

Among these Southeast Asian neighbors are Vietnam and Malaysia, he said, adding that the most primordial concern is to maintain peace in the region.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning warned that "any departure from the DOC framework and its spirit will be null and void."

"Formulating a Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC) is an important task for China and ASEAN countries to implement the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC)," Mao said. DMS