Marcos to raise Chinese incursions, 10-dash-line map in ASEAN Summit

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is set to fly to Indonesia today (Monday) for the 43rd ASEAN Summit where he is expected to make a strong push for a statement on recent Chinese incursions in the West Philippine Sea, the Department of Foreign Affairs said.

DFA Assistant Secretary Daniel Espiritu said Mr. Marcos will also raise the Philippines’ objection to the 2023 standard map of China, which includes the West Philippine Sea as part of its territory.

The Philippines was the third nation to assail Beijing’s attempt to assert sovereignty over disputed maritime territories in the South China Sea, after India and Malaysia.

“Definitely there are external partners who support us,” Espiritu said, although he said he could not be sure there would be consensus support from the regional bloc.

The President assured the public that the government will defend the country’s sovereignty.

“We received the news that now the nine-dash line has been extended to the ten-dash line. We have to respond to all of these and we will,” Mr. Marcos said in an earlier interview, without providing any details.

“We have stayed true to rules-based international law especially the UNCLOS and that I think puts us on solid ground in terms of our claims for territorial sovereignty, for maritime territory,” Mr. Marcos said.

Mr. Marcos is also expected to push for the early completion of the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea, which has been under negotiation since 2002 or more than two decades ago.

During the 42nd ASEAN Summit in May, Mr. Marcos called on the bloc to hasten the completion of the legally binding pact with China.

During his participation in the ASEAN Summit, which will run from September 5 to 7 in Jakarta, the President is also set to hold bilateral meetings with at least four leaders: Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, Vietnamese Prime

Minister Pham Minh Chinh, and Timor-Leste Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao.

Espiritu said Mr. Marcos is also eyeing to discuss food and energy security, migrant workers protection, and the country’s potential in the digital economy with his counterparts during the summit.

“Other priority areas of cooperation with dialogue partners will also be discussed. The President will continue to promote our rules-based international order, including UNCLOS, especially in the South China Sea,” the official added.

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