By framing the discussion around undersea cables and fisheries, analysts suggest Manila is aiming to give every Asean member a direct stake in the matter.
“Asean is unlikely to adopt a collective position on contested South China Sea claims,” stated political analyst Sylwia Monika Gorska, a doctoral candidate in international relations at the University of Central Lancashire.
“Not because the issue lacks importance, but due to the constraints of consensus, sovereignty, and non-interference, which limit how far the bloc can go on territorial matters.”
“The declaration offers Manila another pathway,” Gorska added, referencing the Asean Maritime Leaders’ Declaration that Marcos cited in his address, which was signed last month during the bloc’s 48th summit in Cebu.