The Philippine foreign secretary said Wednesday that China has sought to restrict the presence of foreign military powers in the South China Sea and foreign involvement in oil and gas projects in the disputed region under a pact it's negotiating with Southeast Asian nations.
Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. said in an interview with ABS-CBN News Channel, however, that China has eased up on those demands, removing potential obstacles in the conclusion of the so-called "code of conduct" that it's negotiating with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
China and the 10-nation ASEAN bloc have been negotiating the nonaggression pact in an effort to deter aggressive acts by Beijing and other claimant states that could spark a major armed confrontation in the disputed territories, which straddle some of the world's busiest sea lanes.
ASEAN and China have agreed to keep the negotiations confidential, although China's insistence that the proposed code should restrict foreign military presence and exercises in the disputed region has leaked out and been reported by some media outlets. At least two Southeast Asian diplomats have confirmed those Chinese demands to The Associated Press.
When asked about the code by the ABS-CBN News Channel, Locsin said the negotiations have been "very contentious for a while," with China insisting that no "foreign military power should be having military presence in the South China Sea" and if "you want to develop oil and gas, they'll only be with us."
Opponents have played down the significance of the code, saying China would never sign an accord that would undermine its interests. But Locsin said China's easing up on some of its demands showed that "there is a prospect of a fair, just and objective code of conduct in the South China Sea."