Chinese Premier Li Qiang met with ASEAN leaders earlier on Thursday in the Laos capital of Vientiane and had a rare exchange over the issue of the South China Sea, where some member nations have territorial disputes with Beijing.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said the situation remains tense and that his country continues to be subjected to harassment and intimidation.

His comments followed Li's remarks stressing the economic ties between China and ASEAN. Marcos said economic cooperation cannot be separate from the situation in the South China Sea.

He said more urgency is needed in negotiating a code of conduct to avoid conflicts in the waters.
The talks between ASEAN and China on drawing up the rules have not made major progress in years. In the meantime, conflicts in the waters are only increasing.

In August, Chinese government vessels collided with Philippine government ships in the South China Sea, and the Chinese side fired water cannons. Chinese military aircraft also fired off flares at Philippine planes.

Diplomatic sources say Vietnam, Singapore and Thailand also expressed opinions on the South China Sea issues. The sources say the Chinese premier repeated his country's view on the issues.