The 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations is optimistic that it can complete a working framework for a Code of Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea with Beijing by August, the Foreign Affairs Department said Tuesday. “There will be another meeting this month and everyone is optimistic that we are going to have this framework in the middle of this year. So there is a good progress. We are hoping by August this year, we can have some positive developments that we can announce publicly,” said the department’s executive director for Asean affairs, Zaldy Patron, in a Palace briefing. Patron said there were still “certain elements” that had to be negotiated with China, including guidelines to avoid tension in the South China Sea.

Bencito, J. P., & Tuyay, F. (2017, May 3). Sea code of conduct seen in August. Manila Standard, pp. A1, A2.