(UPDATE) SEN. Erwin Tulfo on Monday said China, through its envoy in Manila, will sign the Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea (SCS) which the Philippines is expected to finalize in 2026.
The completion or adoption of the COC is expected to highlight the Philippines’ chairmanship this year of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean).
Tulfo said that during his meeting with Chinese Ambassador to Manila Jing Quan, the envoy was “very excited in the (completion of the) Code of Conduct which was being finalized between China and Asean countries, [including] Malaysia, Vietnam, Philippines and Brunei.”
“They are open to sign it and it looks like they are interested because they are included in the meetings for the creation of the Code of Conduct,” he said.
Tulfo, chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, met with Jing in a hotel to iron out differences between some senators and Chinese embassy officials over the West Philippine Sea.
In a briefing, Tulfo said the meeting, also attended by Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro, was “productive.” He and Jing did not discuss the “word war” between Sens. Risa Hontiveros, Francis Pangilinan, and Tulfo and embassy spokesmen Ji Lingpeng and Guo Wei, who were not present in the meeting.
“So, hopefully by December, it will be finalized and we will have a code of conduct,” Tulfo told reporters.
He said that according to Lazaro there will be dialogues starting March among claimant countries in the SCS, which include China, Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam, and the Philippines.
Tulfo said he and Jing have agreed to maintain “continuous diplomatic meetings” rather than engage social media in their public discourse.
He said Jing looked forward to meetings with Philippine officials “to advance further the better relations between (the) Philippines and China.” “When it comes to the Senate resolution (condemning the alleged rude behavior of embassy spokesmen), he (Jing) said he can’t do anything about it,” Tulfo said.
“I mean, that’s the right of the Senate... of the senators to answer back. That’s the only thing that we discussed,” he added.