China and Asean agree to draft code of conduct in South China Sea

by Dramelin 8:00 PM 0 comments

China and Asean committed to drafting the code 15 years ago, and while it should in theory tame how they behave in the South China Sea, it remains an open question whether Beijing will be willing to slow construction of artificial islands and pursuit of effective control over disputed territory.
It`s another question whether Southeast Asian countries will have any leverage to ask Beijing to respect the rules.
A mainland defense newspaper reported on Wednesday that China had installed rocket launchers on the disputed Fiery Cross Reef in the South China Sea, though it said the facilities would be limited to defensive requirements.
Philippine ambassador to China Jose Santiago Sta.
Romana was to meet Liu on Friday afternoon for new bilateral talks, with two rounds to be held a year.
The consultation mechanism, was aimed at creating conditions for a final settlement over the two side`s claims in the South China Sea though he didn`t say which topics would be raised.
"But the basic approach is to manage the dispute and be able to discuss in a frank and friendly way the development in the South China Sea," the top envoy to Beijing said.
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