Duterte says China agreed to speed up code of conduct in disputed waters
President Rodrigo Duterte said on Tuesday China has agreed to fast-track the code of conduct in the disputed South China Sea.
In a press conference during the closing of the 31st Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit and Related Summits, Duterte said China has "graciously agreed to a code of conduct and it binds itself to the agreement."
"And the overflight in space above and the use of the China Sea will proceed and it was promised from China, unbridled, unfettered, and we can use the space, I said," he said.
He said in the discussion for the COC, they would just observe certain norms of conduct and "we were pressing China to set a date."
Duterte said China told ASEAN, "Do not just hurry up. But we will consider really fast tracking this Code of Conduct.”
Other ASEAN claimants in the South China Sea are Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam. Taiwan has also overlapping claim in the disputed waters. Celerina Monte/DMS
