Full Breakdown
Philippines Defence Chief Blames China for Stalling South China Sea Code of Conduct
5/31/2026, 8:40:58 PM
Teodoro’s Accusation at Shangri-La Dialogue
During the final panel of the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, Philippine defence secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jnr identified Beijing as the principal obstacle to completing a South China Sea code of conduct. He noted that ASEAN members maintain mutual trust despite overlapping claims, and that the difficulty stems from the external counterpart rather than from the bloc itself.
Negotiation Background
ASEAN and China have been negotiating a South China Sea code of conduct since 2002 to set rules for maritime behaviour and crisis management. A 2016 arbitral tribunal ruling in favour of the Philippines affirmed Manila’s legal position, but talks have repeatedly stalled. Manila, as ASEAN chair for 2024, aims to finalise the code by the end of the year before handing the chair to Singapore.
Official Statements & Responses
Teodoro said peremptory norms such as Unclos and the UN Charter already provide a legal framework, making a separate code unnecessary unless the counterpart respects them. He placed the obstacle with the ‘counterparty to the code of conduct’ rather than ASEAN.
Criticism & Opposition
Teodoro directly criticised Beijing, accusing China of ignoring the 2016 tribunal ruling and obstructing a collective maritime code. By attributing the delay to the external counterpart, he portrays ASEAN’s internal cohesion as intact while casting China as the primary source of the impasse.
Verbatim Quote
“Why is there a need for a code of conduct when we have peremptory norms such as Unclos, such as UN Charter, and the [COC] is a collective code by a group of nations on the one side and with a single actor on the other, so perhaps the problem does not lie within Asean, the problem lies with the counterparty to the code of conduct.” — Gilberto Teodoro Jnr, Philippine Defence Secretary
Implications and Next Steps
Manila intends to finalise the code by year-end, establishing a regional framework before the ASEAN chair passes to Singapore. If completed, the code could provide a mechanism for crisis management and help reduce incidents in the disputed waterway, aligning with the negotiations’ goal of lowering tensions.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
The source offers no Beijing response or details on the specific disagreements that have stalled talks. It also lacks information on the proposed code’s content, individual ASEAN positions, and enforcement mechanisms, limiting a full assessment of agreement prospects.
