New Asean chief seeks early talks on South China Sea code of conduct

Jakarta - The Association of South-East Asian Nations is seeking early talks with China to discuss a code of conduct to manage tensions over the disputed South China Sea, the bloc's new chief said Wednesday.

China claims most of the Sea, including a vital shipping lane and resource-rich areas. The Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam and Brunei have overlapping claims in the area, as does Taiwan.

"Asean should speed up efforts towards an early start of negotiations with China with a view to achieving an early conclusion of a code of conduct on the South China Sea," ASEAN Secretary General Le Luong Minh said.

The Vietnamese diplomat was speaking in Jakarta after officially assuming the post of ASEAN secretary, replacing Surin Pitsuwan of Thailand.

"The South China Sea is not only an issue of peace and stability for countries in the region but it’s also an issue of maritime security and safety of navigation, which is of interest to many countries," he said.//DPA