MANDAUE CITY —The ASEAN member states viewed with concern incidents, including land reclamations, in the South China Sea, noting that these undermine peace and stability in the region. In a press statement, Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma.Theresa Lazaro, who chairs the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Retreat, said the incidents in the South China Sea have been part of their discussions. Lazaro said they agreed on the need to observe self-restraint to prevent the escalation of tension and dispute in the region. Lazaro earlier said monthly meetings would be held for the negotiations on the Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea. Meanwhile, the regional bloc also reaffirmed its strong commitment to upholding regionalism and multilateralism, as well as ASEAN Centrality in the evolving regional architecture.