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Japan envoy: ASEAN-China sea code must uphold rights of non-parties

Philippine News Agency

By Joyce Ann L. Rocamora
November 6, 2025, 7:39 pm

MANILA -- Japan has called for a Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea that is both substantive and respectful of the rights of nations not directly involved in the dispute.

"We believe that the COC should be effective, substantive, and consistent with the UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea)," Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Endo Kazuya said during a panel discussion at the Manila Dialogue on the South China Sea in Taguig City on Thursday.

He said "it would be very important for the COC to respect the legitimate rights and interests of all stakeholders involved."

While Japan is not a party to the COC negotiations, Endo said the situation in the South China Sea is "directly related" to the peace and stability of the region.

The proposed COC hopes to build on the 2002 Declaration of Conduct in the South China Sea and seeks to provide a set of rules to manage tension in the South China Sea.

As the 2026 chair of ASEAN, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. said the Philippines will advance the COC discussions toward its conclusion next year.

Several coastal states, including the Philippines and China, are locked in a maritime dispute over the South China Sea. Over the past year, countries such as Japan have called out Beijing over its increasingly aggressive actions to assert its claims over the vital sea lane.

ASEAN 2025 Chair and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim earlier said ASEAN wants the South China Sea issue to be resolved internally, "within ASEAN and with regional partners" and noted "things are still under control" as far as the bloc is concerned.

"[A]s is the case with all issues, we want it to be resolved within ASEAN, and ASEAN with our partners in the region [sic] because the moment it's seen to be imposed and dictated by outside forces, things become more problematic and tense," he said. (PNA)