AN AERIAL photo of Philippine-occupied Thitu Island, locally known as Pag-asa, in the contested Spratly Islands. — REUTERS

KUALA LUMPUR – The Philippines is open to any additional agreements with Beijing that can help maintain peace in the South China Sea, its top diplomat said, amid unabated confrontations between them over disputed features.

The South China Sea, a conduit for about $3 trillion of annual ship-borne trade, remains a source of tension between China and U.S. ally the Philippines, with ties at their worst in years amid frequent standoffs that have sparked regional concerns they could spiral into conflict.

The Philippines is vexed by the constant presence of China’s coast guard in its exclusive economic zone, where both countries claim sovereignty over disputed features, including uninhabited sandbars, an atoll rich in fish stocks and a reef where Manila has troops stationed on a grounded navy ship.

“I’m not saying they (arrangements) will necessarily take place, but anything within the scope of diplomatic means or peaceful means or cooperation is certainly within our template,” Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique A. Manalo told journalists on the sidelines of an Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday.

Deals have been struck before, with the Philippines and China last year reaching a “provisional arrangement” for resupply missions to the grounded vessel at the Second Thomas Shoal after repeated flare-ups between rival vessels.

China has accused the Philippines of trespassing in its waters but denies allegations of aggressive conduct. Beijing has advocated for dialogue with Manila to manage disputes.

China claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, which includes parts of the EEZs of Vietnam,Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei and the Philippines.

The stakes are high in the event of a miscalculation between Beijing and Manila, with the United States bound by a 1951 mutual defence treaty to come to the aid of the Philippines in the event of any armed attack, including in the South China Sea.

Manalo said the Philippines was determined to see how it could speed up negotiations for a code of conduct between ASEAN and Beijing on the South China Sea.

All sides agreed in 2002 to draft a code but it took 15 years for them to initiate a process to start negotiations.

ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn last week told Reuters all sides were committed to finalising the code by next year. The Philippines will chair ASEAN in 2026.

In remarks to ASEAN leaders on Monday, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr called for the adoption of a legally binding code to be accelerated.

“This is to safeguard maritime rights, promote stability, and prevent miscalculations at sea,” Marcos said. — Reuters

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