South-East Asian countries stalled on finalising a South China Sea code of conduct at the ASEAN summit due to disagreements over whether the agreement will be legally binding

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The Philippines and Australia signed the Defense Cooperation Arrangement aimed at streamlining joint military activities and bolstering regional security

China claims nearly the entire South China Sea and has constructed artificial islands within the exclusive economic zone of the Philippines

The Philippines is expanding its network of security partnerships alongside its long-standing treaty alliance with the United States to counter China's actions in the South China Sea

Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles stated the Australia-Philippines defence pact will deepen practical cooperation between defence forces and enhance maritime activities, information-sharing, and defence infrastructure development

Beijing routinely opposes joint military exercises between the Philippines and its international partners, asserting that such joint activities heighten regional tensions

Australia supports the 2016 international arbitral tribunal ruling that China's sweeping South China Sea claims have no legal basis, a ruling Beijing rejects while maintaining its actions are lawful

Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro stated the Australia-Philippines Defense Cooperation Arrangement acts as an anti-red tape measure that simplifies coordination procedures for the bilateral Status of Visiting Forces Agreement

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced additional Australian investments in maritime domain awareness, including drone technology, equipment, and training to detect maritime and cybersecurity threats

In July, China's ministry of foreign affairs rebuked Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong after she warned Beijing against destabilising regional conduct

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stated that the defence agreement with the Philippines is not aimed at any single country

Hunter Marston of the Lowy Institute noted Australia has expanded its security role by providing uncrewed aquatic surface and underwater vehicles to the Philippine Coast Guard

Draft post-summit communiques indicate ASEAN leaders will call for peaceful resolutions of disputes in the South China Sea, civil strife in Myanmar, and wars in the Middle East and Ukraine

Philippine Foreign Secretary Theresa Lazaro stated that negotiations between ASEAN and Beijing for a South China Sea Code of Conduct are 80 percent complete, but diplomats do not expect a final pact at the ASEAN summit in Manila

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Members of the Squad defense group committed to greater defense policy coordination and working closely together for collective security

Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles stated on October 29, 2026, in Cebu that China's military buildup is creating a condition of pressure in Southeast Asia.

Chinese defence ministry spokesman Zhang Xiaogang responded on October 29, 2026, urging Manila to recognize reality and refrain from challenging Beijing's resolve to defend its territorial sovereignty.

An international arbitral tribunal ruled in 2016 that China's sweeping territorial claims in the South China Sea have no basis under international law, a decision Beijing rejects.

The People's Liberation Army Southern Theater Command stated its combat readiness patrols around Scarborough Shoal were a necessary countermeasure to Philippine rights-violation and provocative acts.

China claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea via a nine-dash line on its maps cutting into exclusive economic zones of five Southeast Asian nations.

China's militarization of artificial islands in the South China Sea prompted Canberra and Washington to deepen defense cooperation with Southeast Asian countries.