South China Sea Code Talks Slip Into 2027
China and ASEAN have provisionally agreed about 80% of the paragraphs in a South China Sea code of conduct but will not conclude negotiations this year, three senior Southeast Asian diplomats told The Associated Press on Wednesday.
The diplomats said the remaining disagreements concern the code’s geographic scope, the definition of sensitive terms and whether it should be legally binding. Talks are expected to continue in 2027, when Singapore takes over the ASEAN chair from the Philippines.
The Philippine Star reported that Manila hosts the ASEAN summit from November 15 and that Chinese President Xi Jinping is not expected. Premier Li Qiang’s attendance had not been officially confirmed as of last week, the Philippine foreign department said.
Separately, Focus Taiwan reported that Taiwan’s foreign ministry has begun withdrawing diplomatic and aid personnel from Papua New Guinea after Port Moresby ordered its representative office closed. The code’s final shape and timing remain unsettled.