The Philippines is urging countries in the region to give legal bite to a nonbinding agreement aimed at preventing conflicts over contested areas in the South China Sea.
The Philippines adopted the accord, known as the Declaration of Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, in 2002, along with the other ASEAN members and China.
However, officials have repeatedly questioned whether the nonbinding agreement was strong enough to deter claimants from expanding their presence in contested seas and islands.
Philippine Foreign Secretary Alberto Romulo said over the weekend that he discussed the possibility of strengthening the accord with his ASEAN counterparts on Friday in Kuala Lumpur, where the group is holding its annual summit.
"We want a more legally binding document," Romulo told a news conference.
Romulo didn't say what response he received from the other ministers. The 2002 declaration was adopted as a stopgap measure ahead of a stronger pact, but fierce differences between the claimants have blocked various attempts to strengthen the accord.
Romulo suggested claimant countries also pursue more confidence-boosting steps and joint efforts to explore and develop the region's resources.
"While we have prevented conflict and built cooperation in the South China Sea, much remains to be done and we must sustain our efforts," he said in a separate written statement.
The disputed territories include the Spratly Islands, claimed in whole or in part by four ASEAN members -- Malaysia, the Philippines, Brunei and Vietnam -- plus China and Taiwan.
Separately, the Philippines and China have contesting claims to Scarborough Shoal, and China and Vietnam have a dispute over the Paracel Islands.
China and Vietnam, which have both built permanent structures in the Spratlys, clashed over the island group in 1988 and 1992. Other countries have also engaged in low-level skirmishes over their claims.
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