Code of conduct talks create conditions for consensus

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte speaks after arriving from Malaysia, at Davao International airport in Davao city in southern Philippines, November 11, 2016. [Photo/Agencies]

At a news conference after the ASEAN foreign ministers' meeting on Tuesday, Philippine Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay said the South China Sea issue is not the "sum-total" of relations between the Philippines and China, and the Philippines has decided to focus on the bigger picture of its relations with China.

Such a laudable stance will not only help China-Philippines ties continue to sail on a healthy track but also contribute to building peace and stability in the South China Sea.

In recent years, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations foreign ministers' meeting has become a venue for a few countries to play up the South China Sea disputes and instigate confrontations with China. This year, reasonable voices seem to have prevailed.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has sought to improve ties with China since taking office in July last year, which has helped ratchet down tensions in the waters.

Yasay also reaffirmed that China and ASEAN would work out a framework for the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea in June or July.

The fact that China and ASEAN have been working on a framework for a code of conduct shows the two sides' commitment to building peace in the waters. It also reflects their ability to properly handle sensitive issues in the region.

China and ASEAN formally launched negotiations on a code of conduct in September 2013 so as to pave the way for the implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, which was signed between the two sides in 2002.

Since then, rounds of consultations have been held with significant progress being made and some early harvest results being achieved. And last year, leaders and officials from both sides expressed confidence in working out a framework by midyear.

The significance of negotiating such a framework is self-evident: The escalating of tensions over the South China Sea disputes in recent years was largely the result of a lack of binding principles to regulate the behavior of various parties in the waters.

The parties concerned need to show restraint and avoid provocative moves so as to cultivate a favorable environment for the discussions. Outside intervention should be discouraged as it only muddies the waters.

However, the push for an agreement on a framework for a code of conduct demonstrates that China and the ASEAN members share the political will to resolve their differences.