Sea code a 'stabilizer' only for China, not ASEAN - analyst

Trishia Billones, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2018/news/05/03/050318_china2.jpg"/></figure></div><p>MANILA - A code of conduct in the South China Sea, touted by the Chinese foreign minister as a &quot;stabilizer&quot; in the region, would only provide stability for Beijing and not the other Southeast Asian nations, an analyst said Tuesday.</p><p>Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi has said China is &quot;ready to work&quot; with the Philippines and Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) towards a code of conduct in disputed waters.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/overseas/10/29/18/china-to-work-with-asean-on-stabilizer-sea-code">China to work with ASEAN on &#x27;stabilizer&#x27; sea code</a></li></ul><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XmfHaRU2evA" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div><p>Jay Batongbacal, director of UP Institute for Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea, noted the sea code would eliminate the Southeast Asian nations from the list of problems China would have to deal with &quot;every time problems erupts over the disputes.&quot;</p><p>&quot;Stability means they are reducing the amount of trouble they have to contend with every time that the disputes flare up. This way, they can just sit back and be comfortable in a sense that they don’t have to deal with all these fires. They don’t have to engage in firefighting with each and every one of the Southeast Asian nation and they can focus their efforts now on dealing with the external powers,&quot; he told ANC&#x27;s Early Edition.</p><p>Having external parties involved in disputes is a &quot;bigger problem for China than it is for the smaller countries&quot; because these nations have &quot;international law behind them which determines the legitimacy of their actions,&quot; he noted. </p><p>&quot;For China, the more that other countries come in, the more that countries assert what is legal, the more they have to explain, the more they have to justify their conduct because it is different from what is defined or determined under international law,&quot; he said.</p><p>In the draft text, as reported by Agence France-Presse in August, Beijing suggested that China and the 10 ASEAN states should carry out joint military exercises regularly.</p><p>However, the drills should not involve countries outside the region &quot;unless the parties concerned are notified beforehand and express no objection.&quot;</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="http://news.abs-cbn.com/overseas/08/02/18/china-wants-military-drills-with-asean-in-disputed-sea-excluding-us">China wants military drills with ASEAN in disputed sea, excluding US</a></li>	<li><a href="http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/08/03/18/asean-draft-code-of-conduct-with-china-signals-start-of-negotiations-analyst">ASEAN draft code of conduct with China signals start of negotiations: analyst</a></li></ul>

<p>A code of conduct in the South China Sea, touted by the Chinese foreign minister as a "stabilizer" in the region, would only provide stability for Beijing and not the other Southeast Asian nations, an analyst said Tuesday.</p>

A code of conduct in the South China Sea, touted by the Chinese foreign minister as a "stabilizer" in the region, would only provide stability for Beijing and not the other Southeast Asian nations, an analyst said Tuesday.

Sea code a 'stabilizer' only for China, not ASEAN - analyst | ABS-CBN

Halalan 2025

Entertainment

News

Metro.Style

Lifestyle

Sports

More

Traffic

Horoscope

Focus

Sea code a 'stabilizer' only for China, not ASEAN - analyst

Sea code a 'stabilizer' only for China, not ASEAN - analyst

Trishia Billones,

ABS-CBN News

Published Oct 30, 2018 01:20 PM PHT

|

Updated Dec 16, 2019 12:48 PM PHT

Read More:

ANC

ANC Top

ANC Exclusives

Jay Batongbacal

South China Sea

Wang Yi

China

Beijing

ABS-CBN is the leading media and entertainment company in the Philippines, offering quality content across TV, radio, digital, and film. Committed to public service and promoting Filipino values, ABS-CBN continues to inspire and connect audiences worldwide.

Corporate

Investors

Governance

International Distribution

Corporate

Governance

Investors

International Distribution

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

AI Policy

Terms of Service

Advertise with Us

© 2025 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2025 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2025 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.