59th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting Closes in Manila With Pledge to Finalize South China Sea Code of Conduct by Year-End

The 59th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting, held in Manila July 18-24, 2026 under a cloud of fresh China-Philippines clashes, closed with ministers voicing "sustained positive momentum" in Code of Conduct (COC) negotiations and reaffirming a target to conclude the COC by the end of 2026, with a planned finalization at the 49th ASEAN Summit in November. China's ambassador Jing Quan said Beijing's willingness to "finish the (code) talks at the end of this year has not changed," clarifying the COC would set operational "rules of engagement" rather than resolve territorial disputes. Malaysian Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan expressed optimism about a November conclusion. The Philippines was unable to forge a unified ASEAN bloc statement condemning the week's clashes, as the meetings again exposed divisions within the ten-member bloc over how forcefully to address Chinese assertiveness in the South China Sea.