Marcos backs Asean Maritime Center to protect trade routes, ease South China Sea tensions
LAPU-LAPU CITY, Cebu — Citing the need to strengthen maritime safety and regional security, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. backed the proposed maritime center for Southeast Asia during the 48th Asean Summit.
The proposed Asean Maritime Center, discussed among key regional initiatives, aims to safeguard vital trade routes and address long-standing territorial disputes in the South China Sea.
“What we are working for is the continued freedom of navigation and the peaceful navigation in the South China Sea,” Marcos said during a press conference in Cebu on Friday, May 8.
‘To secure territories’
Marcos stressed that ensuring safety, maintaining order, and protecting freedom of navigation are among the primary functions envisioned for the maritime center.
The proposal comes amid persistent tensions in the South China Sea involving overlapping claims by China, Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Taiwan.
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In a recently adopted Asean declaration on maritime cooperation, member-states committed to pursuing an effective and substantive Code of Conduct in the South China Sea aligned with international law.
This includes adherence to the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which sets legal standards governing maritime rights and responsibilities.
A 2016 ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration invalidated China’s “nine-dash line” and its claims of historic rights in the South China Sea under UNCLOS.
Despite this, Marcos clarified that the maritime center and broader cooperation efforts are not intended to “confront” any specific country or power.
Ensure safety at sea
A key priority of the proposed maritime center is to serve as a central repository for maritime policies and coordinated responses among Asean member-states.
Marcos cited concerns over illegal fishing, smuggling, and human trafficking, stressing the need for stronger monitoring and regulation of regional waters.
He emphasized the importance of securing sea lanes in the South China Sea, where a significant portion of global trade passes through daily.
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Marcos warned that any disruption in these waters would have serious economic consequences for neighboring countries, particularly those within the Asean region.
He compared the potential impact to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which disrupted global oil supply and triggered an energy crisis.
“If such a thing could happen in the South China Sea, the inevitable consequences would be alarming,” the President said.
No timeline yet
Marcos said he remains “optimistic” about establishing the maritime center, which is planned to be based in the Philippines.
He noted that while Asean leaders unanimously agreed on its creation, no specific timeline has been set for its establishment.
“The job before us is to put together a framework for what this maritime center is going to look like,” Marcos said.
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