A first draft of a Code of Conduct for behavior in the disputed South China Sea has been completed, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Wednesday, adding tension in the waterway had eased notably. Since 2010, China and the 10 members of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) have been discussing a set of rules aimed at avoiding conflict among rival claimants in the busy South China Sea. China has long called for what it terms “countries outside the region” – generally a reference to the United States – to stay out of the dispute, saying China and Southeast Asia are determined to resolve things peacefully.

First draft of South China Sea Code of Conduct ready. (2017, March 9). Manila Bulletin, p. 6.