Germany emphasizes respect for international law in the East Sea

The Philippines and Germany both agreed to emphasize the role of international law, including UNCLOS 1982, in maintaining peace, stability, security and maritime safety in the East Sea.

Philippines - Đức nhấn mạnh thượng tôn luật pháp quốc tế tại Biển Đông

Philippine President Marcos Jr. and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz stressed that ensuring freedom of navigation in the East Sea is a common interest of the whole world. (Source: AP)

Maritime affairs in the South China Sea are of global concern.

The East Sea issue was one of the important topics emphasized by Philippine President Marcos Jr. during his meeting with Prime Minister Olaf Scholz during his visit to Germany, Manila's important security partner (March 11-15).

The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs earlier said Manila could not consider Beijing's maritime proposals because they did not reflect the Philippines' interests on issues in the South China Sea.

The Philippine President stressed the importance of maritime traffic in the South China Sea, which accounts for 60% of the world's maritime transport, affirming that "this is not only a concern of the Philippines, ASEAN, or the Indo-Pacific region, but of the whole world."

Mr. Marcos Jr. stressed that Manila “remains committed to resolving issues through dialogue and consultation, however the Philippines, like any other sovereign nation, will continue to firmly defend its sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction in accordance with international law.”

On March 12, Philippine President Marcos Jr. and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz held a press conference in Berlin.

The Manila Times reported that at the event, President Marcos Jr. shared that if China persists in pursuing its unreasonable sovereignty claims in the East Sea, it will be “very difficult for the two sides to see any progress” on the East Sea issue.

He affirmed that the Philippines will not make concessions to China in the sovereignty dispute in the South China Sea. President Marcos Jr. emphasized that ensuring freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea is not only in the interest of the Philippines, ASEAN or the Indo-Pacific region, but also in the interest of the entire world.

This is also the view supported by German President Olaf Scholz, who also called on all parties to respect international law and resolve disputes peacefully.

According to the Philippine News Agency (PNA) , the German Chancellor affirmed at the press conference: "It is important for everyone that the existing laws are respected. We discussed this issue today, and I made it clear that we support the Philippines in ensuring that its legitimate interests are protected."

Also at the press conference, Philippine President Marcos Jr. thanked the German Chancellor for continuing to support international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), reaffirmed his commitment to supporting the Philippines in protecting its sovereignty, and supporting the Philippine Coast Guard.

Germany has been involved in training activities for the Philippine military since 1974 and is the country’s second-longest defense partner. Before leaving for Berlin, President Marcos Jr. signed a Joint Declaration on Strengthening Cooperation in the Bilateral Maritime Sector.

Germany and the Philippines have deepened their cooperation amid rising tensions in the South China Sea. In January 2024, for the first time in 10 years, the German foreign minister visited Manila. The German foreign ministry at the time also condemned “China’s claims to vast maritime territories, which the Permanent Court rejected in 2016.”

Hope for an effective, efficient COC

According to the East Asia Forum , China's assertiveness in the South China Sea reached a high point in 2023, with tensions between Beijing and Manila rising. This led to increased patrols and more assertive behavior by the Philippine navy and coast guard in response.

The Philippines has also stepped up defense cooperation with the United States and its allies, conducting joint military exercises and granting the United States access to new bases, while working with Australia and regional countries to bolster its defenses against China at sea.

In that context, the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC) has also made remarkable progress recently. Under the leadership of the 2023 ASEAN Chair, in February 2023, the 32nd ASEAN Coordinating Council Meeting and the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Retreat decided that Indonesia should “explore new strategies/approaches to accelerate the COC negotiation process”.

A month later, Indonesia convened the 38th ASEAN-China Joint Working Group on the Implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) in Jakarta. In May, the 20th ASEAN-China Senior Officials Meeting on the DOC took place in Vietnam after a two-year hiatus.

In July 2023, the 56th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting convened in Jakarta and announced that the second reading of the three readings of the COC had been completed. At the same time, the ASEAN-China Ministerial Meeting adopted guidelines to accelerate negotiations on the COC in the South China Sea. Subsequently, at the 21st Senior Officials Meeting on the Implementation of the DOC held in Beijing today (October 26), China and ASEAN officially launched the third reading of the draft COC.

(according to SCMP, Manila Times)

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