Author: Sophie Wushuang Yi

Published: 29 May 2026

Progress on the South China Sea dispute between the Philippines and China is in limbo, and likely to stay that way.

As the Strait of Hormuz closure pushed the Philippines into a national energy emergency in late March 2026, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signalled openness to restarting joint oil and gas talks with China at Reed Bank. Meanwhile, Foreign Affairs Secretary Maria Theresa Lazaro called for weekly Code of Conduct (CoC) negotiation meetings to deliver a text by July 2026, when the Philippines chairs the ASEAN Summit.

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The article was published by ISEAS.

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The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the official policy, position or view of IRSEA