PNoy to push code of conduct for territorial disputes at ASEAN summit

Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) holds the 22nd ASEAN Summit at Brunei. It is a two-day summit which officially started with a dinner last Wednesday night for the Asian leaders hosted by the summit chairman, Sultan of Brunei Haji Hassanal Bolkia.

President Aquino carrying the aim of pushing the code of conduct to minimize the risk of conflict in the South China Sea arrived Wednesday night just in time for the opening dinner.

According to reports during PNoy’s departure in Manila, Aquino stated that under the sultan’s leadership, “we have full confidence we can move forward on equal terms on this issue.”

Philippine Ambassador to Brunei, Nestor Ochoa said in a report that “one of the aims of the President is to push for the code of conduct in the South China Sea. “This time, we are hopeful that Asean will finally agree to have a consensus in pushing for the code of conduct at least within the year”, Ochoa added.

One of the agenda of the ASEAN leaders who attended the retreat session is about the territorial disputes between Asean and China over the South China Sea, and the conflict in Korean Peninsula.

Foreign officials said that the Philippines would push for the implementation of the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea.

The 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) annual summit is in response to the tension that arouse over the resource-rich South China Sea.

Other ASEAN members such as Brunei, Malaysia, China and Taiwan, as well as the Philippines and Vietnam, claim ownership of the sea which known to be a rich fishing grounds.

Sources: gmanetwork.com, globalnation.inquirer.net, abs-cbnnews.com