At Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung briefing, experts chart supply chain resilience amid South China Sea disputes
30 Sep 20255 min read
Summary
- The South China Sea remains a critical artery for global commerce, carrying nearly a quarter of maritime trade valued at $5.3 trillion annually. With rising tensions driving up shipping and freight costs across key routes, policymakers and industry experts at the recent Makati dialogue underscored the urgency of reinforcing humanitarian, environmental, and supply chain safeguards.
- The Track 1.5 Workshop on ASEAN Economic Security highlighted persistent gaps in enforcement and coordination, calling for stronger private-sector leadership and regional mechanisms. Three priorities emerged: advancing human capital in the maritime sector, establishing a regional protocol for energy and supply chain resilience, and building collective maritime security frameworks.
- Participants urged ASEAN to expand its geoeconomic agenda to include labor protections, small business resilience, and environmental safeguards while addressing vulnerabilities in energy supply routes. As the Philippines prepares to chair ASEAN in 2026, the push for a binding Code of Conduct in the South China Sea is viewed as vital to securing trade stability and strengthening economic resilience across the region.
Philippines – September 29, 2025 | At a recent policy briefing in Makati organized by the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Philippines in partnership with the Foundation for the National Interest, Value Chain Asia joined scholars and policymakers in discussing the urgent need for stronger humanitarian and environmental safeguards in the South China Sea.This dialogue also builds on earlier sessions where experts noted the equally critical challenge of securing supply chains, protecting submarine cables, and balancing resource extraction with long-term sustainability.
What’s next?
According to the results of the Track 1.5 Workshop on ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Economic Security in the South China Sea,”weak enforcement, skeletal frameworks, and uneven implementation continue to undermine resilience” in the region.While existing frameworks such as the ASEAN Economic Community and Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership are set forth, the same weaknesses were pointed out. Thus, the need for better private-sector leadership, marine domain awareness, and cooperative models was paramount. Three priorities were set out in the dialogue: strengthening human capital and standards in the maritime sector, developing a regional protocol for energy and supply chain resilience, and collective mechanisms for maritime supply chain security.
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