Dennis Gasgonia

Article (news)

Job Manahan

ABS-CBN News

<p>MANDAUE CITY, Cebu – The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member-states have expressed concern about the land reclamation and “serious incidents” in the South China Sea, noting the importance of “self-restraint” despite all these activities.</p><p>Based on the statement issued by the ASEAN chair following the regional bloc’s Foreign Ministers’ Retreat here in Cebu, member-states tackled the situation in the South China Sea, where the smaller West Philippine Sea is located.</p><p>“Concerns were expressed on land reclamations, activities, serious incidents in the area, including actions that put the safety of all persons at risk, damage to the marine environment, which have eroded trust and confidence, increased tensions, and may undermine peace, security, and stability in the region,” the statement read. </p><p>“We reaffirmed the need to enhance mutual trust and confidence, exercise self-restraint in the conduct of activities that would complicate or escalate disputes and affect peace and stability and avoid actions that may further complicate the situation,” it added.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/1/28/chinese-embassy-claims-tarriela-attacking-and-smearing-china-0105"><strong>Chinese embassy claims Tarriela ‘attacking and smearing’ China </strong></a> </div><p>But what was important was to resolve disputes peacefully anchored on international law, most especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). </p><p>“We emphasised the importance of self-restraint in the conduct of all activities by claimants and all other states, including those mentioned in the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) that could further complicate the situation and escalate tensions in the South China Sea,” the statement read.</p><p>Despite all these, the Philippines, as ASEAN chair, said it would “endeavour to conclude the negotiation of an effective and substantive” code of conduct in the South China Sea in accordance with international law within this year.</p><p>“We emphasized the need to maintain and promote an environment conducive to the COC negotiations, including the situation in the South China Sea, and thus welcomed practical measures that could reduce tensions and the risk of accidents, misunderstandings, and miscalculation,” the statement read.</p><p>“We stressed the importance of undertaking confidence building and preventive measures to enhance, among others, trust and confidence amongst parties, and we reaffirmed the importance of upholding international law, particularly the 1982 UNCLOS,” it added.</p><p>The Philippine Coast Guard has long sounded the alarm on Chinese reclamation activities in parts of the West Philippine Sea — the area of the South China Sea in the Philippines&#x27; exclusive economic zone — including the Pag-asa cays and Escoda Shoal.</p><p>Bloomberg reported in 2022, citing satellite images from US officials, that land formations have emerged around the contested Spratly Islands in the sea, where a Chinese vessel with a hydraulic excavator was seen operating over the years.</p><p>CHALLENGES</p><p>Meanwhile, during the two-day, closed-door retreat, the region’s top diplomats discussed a range of regional and global concerns, noting that the current international environment is shaped by “overlapping pressures.”</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/1/25/afp-strengthens-malampaya-monitoring-amid-west-philippine-sea-tension-1241"><strong>AFP strengthens Malampaya monitoring amid West Philippine Sea tension</strong></a></div><p>The regional bloc also flagged intensifying geopolitical competition, growing economic uncertainty, and the erosion of multilateral systems and the rules-based order as key challenges confronting the region.</p><p>“We noted that these are compounded by transnational challenges such as climate change, misuse of emerging technologies including artificial intelligence, and other increasingly complex security risks that no country can address alone,” it said. </p><p>At the opening of the foreign ministers’ retreat today, Foreign Affairs Secretary Theresa Lazaro noted that challenges facing ASEAN not only grew but also became more complex.</p><div> </div><div><br/></div><div>  </div>

<p>The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member-states have expressed concern about the land reclamation and “serious incidents” in the South China Sea, noting the importance of “self-restraint” despite all these activities.</p>

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member-states have expressed concern about the land reclamation and “serious incidents” in the South China Sea, noting the importance of “self-restraint” despite all these activities.

ASEAN views with concern land reclamations, ‘serious incidents’ in S. China Sea

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ASEAN views with concern land reclamations, ‘serious incidents’ in S. China Sea

Job Manahan,

ABS-CBN News

Published January 29, 2026 10:06 PM PHT

Read More:

ASEAN Philippines 2026

ASEAN

ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting Retreat

South China Sea

West Philippine Sea

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