MANILA, Philippines — Instead engaging in military posturing to press maritime claims, a defense and security expert suggested all claimant states should agree to declare the entire South China Sea as a global common. Clarita Carlos, a political science and foreign policy professor of the University of the Philippines, said claimant states should also talk about regional fishing agreements. “Why not shift from this Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea and instead talk about regional fishing agreement?” Carlos told a forum sponsored by the Association for Philippine-China Understanding at the Astoria Plaza in Pasig City on Wednesday. She said that entering to a regional fishing agreement is a functional route towards regional cooperation without necessarily involving other non-players in the maritime row. Let’s include China,” Carlos said.

Source: Philippine Star April 27, 2019 15:42 UTC