Security challenges facing ASEAN have evolved, now more complex—PH official

📷༘ ASEAN/File

CEBU CITY — Security challenges facing the member-states of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have not only grown, but have also evolved and became more complex, the Philippines said Thursday.

All parties ‘bent on concluding negotiations’ for South China Sea code of conduct this 2026 – official

Foreign Affairs Secretary Theresa Lazaro made the statement this morning at the opening of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting Retreat in Cebu City, describing this as a “core reality.”

“The global geopolitical security environment has not only become more challenging, but it's also become more complex and interconnected. Across our region, we continue to see tensions at sea, protracted internal conflicts, and unresolved border and humanitarian concerns,” Lazaro told foreign ministers.

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But there are other developments outside Southeast Asia, including “unilateral actions that carry across regional implications,” which affect regional stability.

This, she said, has also eroded institutions and rules-based international order.

“Our meeting today allows us to collectively take stock of ASEAN's priorities and exchange views on regional and global developments that directly affect us,” she said.

“The Philippines stands ready to work closely with all ASEAN member states, the ASEAN Secretariat, and our external partners to ensure that our [chairship year] delivers meaningful and practical benefits for the ASEAN community,” she added.

The Philippines is one of four ASEAN member states, along with Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam, that have contesting claims in the South China Sea linking the Indian and Pacific Oceans.

Negotiations on South China Sea code of conduct unlikely to finish this 2026—analyst

ASEAN spokesperson Dax Imperial told reporters on Tuesday night that “all parties are bent” on concluding the negotiations for the South China Sea code of conduct under the Philippines chairship of ASEAN, as the country supports more meetings regarding this.

But an analyst told ABS-CBN News there were “a lot of obstacles” to the proposed COC, noting that the growing Chinese vessels in the West Philippine Sea shows an element of bad faith.

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