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China and Asean take another step towards South China Sea code of conduct
- China’s foreign policy chief Wang Yi hails completion of second reading phase during visit to Indonesia
- Talks on a legally binding agreement to handle disputes in the waters have been going on for decades
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China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations have completed the second reading of a code of conduct for the South China Sea.
The news was announced at the start of a meeting between China’s top diplomat Wang Yi and Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi in Jakarta, which is hosting the annual Asean foreign ministers’ meeting.
Wang welcomed the announcement, saying: “China supports the formation of a guideline document by all parties to accelerate the COC [code of conduct] and is willing to continue to play a constructive role in the early conclusion of the COC.”
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The two sides had previously warned in May that this step might not be competed until the end of the year.
China claims most of the resource-rich South China Sea, but its claims are disputed by several Asean members: the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei.
This in turn has led the United States to step up its activities in the waters, which are key to its Indo-Pacific strategy.
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