ASEAN urged to use arbitral ruling in code of conduct framework
Former Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario on Tuesday urged the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to invoke the arbitral tribunal ruling that invalidated China’s expansive claims in the South China Sea in crafting a planned code of conduct in the disputed waters. The Permanent Court of Arbitration last year ruled against China’s claim to nearly all of the South China Sea and said it violated the Philippines’ sovereign rights to its exclusive economic zone by interfering in fishing and oil exploration and by constructing artificial islands. Beijing refuses to recognize the decision. Speaking at a forum organized by the Stratbase ADR Institute ahead of the 30th ASEAN summit later this week in Manila, Del Rosario said the ruling “not only vindicated the Philippines but, even more important, upheld the rule of law over the waters and global commons of the South China Sea.”
