PH urges regional unity for peace, stability in South China Sea

The Philippines has called for stronger regional cooperation and adherence to international law amid escalating South China Sea tensions, where China’s verbal pressure and military actions against the Philippines have heightened concerns over maritime security and regional stability.

At the 18th South China Sea International Conference in Hanoi, Vietnam, on October 7–8, Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Undersecretary Leo M. Herrera-Lim warned that unilateral actions and coercive conduct threaten coastal states and undermine the regional maritime order.

In his keynote remarks, Herrera-Lim stressed that lasting peace and prosperity at sea must be anchored in the rule of law, citing the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the final and binding 2016 South China Sea Arbitral Award as the twin pillars of Philippine maritime policy.

The Philippines maintains that China’s expansive maritime claims and actions in disputed waters must be assessed against international law, including the 2016 arbitral ruling that invalidated the legal basis for China’s sweeping claims to historic rights within its nine-dash line. Beijing rejects the ruling.

From left: Executive Director Rogelio Villanueva Jr. of DFA’s Maritime and Ocean Affairs Office (MOAO), Assistant Secretary Marshall Louie Alferez for Asia-Pacific (AsPac), DFA Undersecretary Leo M. Herrera-Lim, Philippine Ambassador to Viet Nam H.E. Francisco Noel Fernandez, and Third Secretary and Vice Consul Danica Denise Manicad. PHOTO FROM DFA

Herrera-Lim emphasized that international law offers countries peaceful and predictable ways to clarify maritime rights and resolve disputes, rather than resorting to coercion or unilateral measures.

“We invite our regional partners to join us in turning contestation into connectivity, and connectivity into enduring cooperation so that the South China Sea may remain a sea of peace, stability, and prosperity for generations to come”, added Undersecretary Herrera-Lim.

Hosted by the Diplomatic Academy of Viet Nam and the Vietnamese government, the conference carried the theme “Contestation, Connectivity, and Cooperation – The South China Sea and the Regional Maritime Order.”

It gathered more than 300 government officials, policymakers, maritime experts, academics, and other stakeholders, with over 40 panel experts discussing pressing maritime challenges and prospects for regional cooperation.

For the Philippines, upholding UNCLOS and the arbitral award remains central to protecting its maritime rights and ensuring that disputes in the South China Sea are resolved peacefully, without intimidation or the use of force.