The Philippines Defense Minister, Gilberto Teodoro, expressed doubts on Monday about China's intention to negotiate a regional code of conduct in the South China Sea.
"Right now, honestly speaking, I do not see that," Teodoro told the press while stressing that, despite his doubts, the President of the country, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., had cleared "good-faith discussions" with China.
Southeast Asian leaders urged on Sunday for a prompt consensus on a South China Sea code of conduct grounded in international law following heightened tensions in the vital waterway through which $3 trillion in trade flows each year.
