VIENTIANE — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Friday did not hide his frustration over China’s conflicting statements and actual operations in the South China Sea.

Marcos Jr. earlier flagged China’s dangerous maneuvers and illegal activities in the South China Sea during the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit, while Beijing claimed that the situation is “generally stable” in the strategic waterway.

“That will be a bit of an understatement,” Marcos Jr. told reporters when asked if he was frustrated over Beijing’s behavior.

“Frustration? It’s much more than frustration because there is potential danger. That’s something we want to avoid,” he said.

Marcos tells ASEAN, world leaders: China’s sea moves ‘cannot be ignored’

In Marcos Jr.’s interventions in this year’s ASEAN Summit, the Filipino leader consistently slammed China for illegally claiming nearly the entire South China Sea despite a 2016 arbitral ruling that underscored that Beijing’s 9-dash line map had no legal basis.

More than half of ASEAN members are backing the Philippines’ push for a rules-based order in the South China Sea, the Philippine President said, without naming particular countries.

‘ASEAN, not a talk shop’

For several years, analysts have been describing ASEAN as a “talk shop” as not all of its policies translate into concrete action.

But Marcos Jr. disagreed, saying that ASEAN is “just a talk shop.”

“I don’t agree that this is just a talk shop, but even if it were, I’d rather be talking than watching conflict,” the Philippine President said.

“If the talking is keeping conflict away, then ASEAN will have achieved at least one of its most important purposes,” he said.

“I think what is important is that we are able to, once again, make our position very clear on different issues,” he said.

Marcos Jr. also called on ASEAN and China to “hasten” the passage of the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea, as negotiations on the document has been dragging on for decades.

Among the unsettled issues in COC negotiations are the definition of “self-restraint” and whether or not the sea code should be legally binding.

“I think the onus is now with China. ASEAN has been waiting for a long time,” Marcos Jr. said.