Talks on a South China Sea Code of Conduct Will Resume in October

(Bloomberg) -- Talks on the second draft of a maritime code of conduct in the South China Sea between China and Southeast Asian countries is due to begin in October, a senior Thai government official told reporters on Friday.

Speaking on the sidelines of the regional forum in Bangkok, deputy permanent secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Arthayudh Srisamoot said the two sides would delve into the specifics of the long-awaited pact after agreeing to the "basic principles" in a preliminary draft reading. The conclusion of the preliminary reading was confirmed earlier this week.

"We want the code of conduct to be a document that will instill more confidence in this region" and "follows international laws," Arthayudh said, adding that a final agreement should be in place within three years.

Flare Ups

Still, some of the region's top diplomats this morning expressed "concerns" regarding recent flare ups in the South China Sea and had noted the transit by warships and military equipment in waters could jeopardize possible peaceful resolution of the issue, Arthayudh said.

In Beijing, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told reporters that China, along with other countries, had "the will to uphold the peace and stability in this region including the differences and disputes in the South China Sea."

It was clear the code of conduct negotiations were making progress, Hua said on Friday. "In stark contrast, senior officials from the U.S. will every time use every possible means to sow discord between these countries and stir trouble in the South China Sea."

--With assistance from Kevin Hamlin.

To contact the reporters on this story: Natnicha Chuwiruch in Bangkok at nchuwiruch@bloomberg.net;Philip J. Heijmans in Singapore at pheijmans1@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Ruth Pollard at rpollard2@bloomberg.net