EU backs ASEAN, China in reaching South China Sea code, upgrades ties with Philippines

The EU on Friday reiterated its support for China and the 11-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in reaching a Code of Conduct (COC) in the disputed South China Sea as the 27-member bloc upgraded its ties with the Philippines.

Stressing that commitment to international law in the South China Sea was “essential,” EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas told reporters in the Philippines capital Manila: “The European Union continues to support the freedom of navigation and overflight, and we remain firmly committed to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.”

The Philippines is the current chair of ASEAN, and Kallas attended a summit with the bloc, which held its 59th annual meeting of its top diplomats this week.

“The EU supports efforts by ASEAN and China to conclude a legally binding Code of Conduct in the South China Sea,” Kallas told reporters alongside Filipino counterpart Ma. Theresa Lazaro.

“Disputes must be settled through dialogue, not coercion,” said Kallas, lauding Manila’s position on the Russia-Ukraine war.

The statement from the EU bloc’s foreign affairs chief comes as the South China Sea has seen continued tensions between the Philippines and China, which have overlapping maritime claims in the vast waterbody.

Lazaro told reporters Thursday that the ASEAN and China “are making significant progress" toward concluding the COC in the disputed waterbody “by the end of the year.”

The two sides have continued negotiations on the COC since the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea.

Manila Friday said Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. wants to “reset” ties with China and “prevent tensions from happening again” in the disputed waters.

Kallas said she discussed with Lazaro the situation in Myanmar.

"The Myanmar military regime must stop its attacks on civilians, allow humanitarian assistance to reach those in need, and create conditions for an inclusive political process,” she said.

During their talks, Lazaro and Kallas signed a joint statement to upgrade the Philippines-EU ties into an "enhanced partnership.”

The new ties aim to establish "forward-looking" cooperation between the two sides.