PHILIPPINE听President Rodrigo R. Duterte discussed key regional issues听鈥斕齣ncluding the South China Sea dispute and Myanmar crisis听鈥斕齣n听his speech at the summit of听southeast Asian leaders, taking a pacifist stance on both concerns.听听听

The tough-talking leader听reiterated his call for peace and stability in the South China Sea in accordance with a 2016 United Nations (UN) arbitral ruling that rejected Beijing鈥檚 claim to more than 80% of the sea based on a 1940s map, his office said in a statement released Tuesday night.听听听

Last month, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro L. Locsin, Jr. said the Philippines was backing a defense pact that allows Australia to build nuclear-powered submarines using technology that the United States had only previously shared with Britain, saying it could keep the balance of power in the Indo-Pacific region.听听

鈥淲e have come a long way in keeping the peace and promoting prosperity in our region,鈥澨齅r. Duterte was quoted as saying.听鈥淲e must听not allow those with diverging interests to make our efforts fail.鈥澨听

During the听Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Leaders鈥櫶齋ummit, Mr. Duterte also reaffirmed his country鈥檚’ commitment to an “effective and substantive” code of conduct in the disputed waterway.听

In his speech at the 9th ASEAN-US summit, Mr. Duterte emphasized that the trilateral security partnership between America, Australia, and UK, known as AUKUS,听听鈥渕ust complement and not complicate our working methods for cooperation,鈥 the Palace said separately in a statement.

Mr. Duterte reiterated the strategic importance of a peaceful and stable South China Sea and stressed that 鈥渁ll stakeholders must exercise self-restraint to avoid untoward incidents that may further complicate the situation.”听

Citing the rapidly changing regional landscape and seascape, the Philippine听leader听 emphasized听the 鈥渋mportance and need for ASEAN Centrality even as he acknowledged the United States鈥 鈥渃ommitment to work with ASEAN, especially on maritime security and domain awareness issues.鈥澨

The South China Sea, which is important for the regional ambitions of China, remains as a main source of tension in the Indo-Pacific as the US and other Western countries continue to assert so-called freedom of navigation operations there. The US, which was set to participate in the summit, has been competing with China in trade.听听听

When he took office in 2016, Mr. Duterte led a foreign policy pivot to China听听

away from the US. Less than a year before he steps down,听Mr. Duterte听has changed his tone toward the US.听听

He recently thanked US President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. for donating coronavirus vaccines to the Philippines. He also restored a visiting forces agreement after suspending it for months. The two nations are set to hold more than 300 joint defense activities next year.听听

On Myanmar,听Mr. Duterte called on his fellow leaders in the region to stand with听the country听in solving its crisis, the Palace said.听听听

Southeast Asian leaders have decided to exclude Myanmar鈥檚 junta leader, Min Aung Hlaing, from听the听summit. Mr. Hlaing led a military coup in February, overthrowing an elected听government.听听

Mr. Duterte听urged all parties in Myanmar to engage in a constructive dialogue听and听stressed that the region鈥檚 special envoy must be allowed to visit the crisis-laden country soon to meet all relevant parties.听鈥斕齂yle听Aristophere听T.听Atienza听

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