The 48th Summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations concluded in Cebu, the Philippines, last week with the release of a statement underscoring the need for a Code of Conduct in the South China Sea grounded in international law.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, at a subsequent news conference, expressed optimism that this long-sought agreement could be finalized within the year.

While the COC is welcome, achieving it requires unwavering focus and, crucially, an end to actions that undermine the very trust the document seeks to build.

Over the past year, cooperation in the South China Sea has maintained stable momentum with peace, cooperation and friendship being the general consensus of regional countries. Provocations and attempts to undermine that consensus go against the regional will.

China insists that peace, cooperation and friendship constitute the new narrative for the South China Sea. It has engaged in in-depth discussions with Indonesia regarding joint maritime development, held bilateral dialogues on maritime issues with Malaysia, and carried out cooperation on the sustainable development of fisheries with Vietnam.

Apart from such concrete actions, robust institutional safeguards are still needed. Building upon the continued and effective implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, consultations on the COC have now entered a critical stage, with all parties looking forward to concluding the negotiations.

As Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said on Monday, formulating the COC is an important measure for implementing the DOC, and also an important agreement between China and ASEAN countries. It will help the parties better manage differences, advance cooperation and keep the South China Sea peaceful and stable.

China is engaging in close consultations with ASEAN countries on the text of the COC and is determined to work alongside all parties — by overcoming external interference and bridging differences while seeking common ground — to reach a consensus as soon as possible, thereby establishing a practical and effective framework for all parties to manage differences, enhance mutual trust and promote cooperation.

To reach an agreement on the COC at an early date, the parties concerned need to stick to the shared goals of peace and development, focus on common ground and resist disruptions from parties outside the region.

China also hopes that the Philippines — during its tenure as this year's rotating chair of ASEAN — will recognize the responsibilities it bears, resist the temptation of pursuing narrow self-interests, demonstrate the sense of responsibility expected of it, and play a positive and constructive role in promoting regional peace and stability.

As China's Permanent Representative to the United Nations Fu Cong has stated on several occasions at the UN Security Council, the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, together with relevant international treaties and customary international law, form the basis of the modern international maritime order. States should interpret and apply the convention in complete good faith and refrain from selectivity and double standards.

China has always been a defender and builder of the rule of law in the international maritime sphere, defending the integrity and authority of the convention with concrete moves.

A code of conduct that truly serves the region cannot be built on consensus when the Philippines persists with its provocative territorial incursions. The upcoming months offer a narrow window of opportunity. Manila should make the correct choice between walking down a path of escalating tension with the collusion of outside forces or translating its optimism into real actions aimed at completing the COC this year.

The COC will be a common roof that can shelter all only if it is built by everyone. The region has waited too long. The time for sincere cooperation is now.