LAPU-LAPU CITY — Maritime tensions in the South China Sea will be on the agenda in Cebu this week as Southeast Asian leaders open the 48th Asean Summit, with negotiations on a Code of Conduct (COC) again set for discussion alongside broader regional security and economic priorities.
The leaders plan to issue a contingency plan that upholds international law, sovereignty and freedom of navigation in what could be seen as a veiled rebuke to the United States, Israel and Iran over the Middle East war that has hurt the economies in the region, according to a draft declaration.