2 publishers · first seen Mon, 09 Nov 2026 07:12 UTC · updated Thu, 12 Nov 2026 03:33 UTC
China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have made progress on a South China Sea pact but will not conclude negotiations this year as agreed, according to three regional diplomats. The proposed 'code of conduct' aims to prevent confrontations in the disputed waters from escalating into a major conflict. China and ASEAN have provisionally agreed on about 80% of the agreement's paragraphs, with the remaining issues being the geographic scope, the definition of sensitive terms, and whether the accord should be legally binding. Negotiations will continue next year when ASEAN's leadership rotates to Singapore. The status of the negotiations and ongoing incidents in the South China Sea will be high on the agenda at the upcoming ASEAN summit in Manila, where leaders from Asian and Western nations, including the United States and China, will engage in discussions.
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