President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. called on China to exercise "restraint" in settling maritime disputes at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit with China on Tuesday.

"It is regrettable that incidents in the South China Sea persist. Philippine vessels and aircraft continue to face dangerous actions and harassment," Marcos said.

"This is made even more complicated by unilateral declarations of marine protection zones, such as the 'nature reserve' in Bajo de Masinloc or Scarborough Shoal, which is an integral and longstanding part of Philippine territory," he added.

"Otherwise, the failure to restrain provocative and dangerous actions further threatens the peace and stability that we have collectively built and cultivated over the years," Marcos said.

Marcos remained firm with his protest against the declaration of China to turn Bajo de Masinloc as a “nature reserve”.

Marcos said the Philippines continues to work with ASEAN towards an effective and substantive Code of Conduct in the South China Sea, “one that is consistent with international law, particularly the 1982 UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea), does not diminish the rights and interest of third parties, and can effectively govern the behavior of Parties at sea.”

“The Philippines stands ready to work with ASEAN and China to translate our commitments into meaningful outcomes through mutually beneficial cooperation. It must be clear, however, that this cooperation cannot exist alongside coercion,” Marcos said .

“By grounding our partnership in mutual respect for sovereign equality and adherence to international law as guiding principles, we can ensure that ASEAN-China cooperation continues to deliver tangible and meaningful benefits to our peoples while advancing our shared vision of peace, stability, prosperity, and sustainability in the region,” the President added.

Marcos urged ASEAN and China to explore cooperative activities within the framework of the Declaration on the Code of Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC). DMS