ASEAN chair Indonesia to intensify talks on code for South China Sea

Indonesia plans to intensify talks with China and other Southeast Asian countries to finalise a code of conduct (COC) for the disputed South China Sea, its foreign minister said on Saturday, amid escalating tensions in the strategic waterway.
Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi was speaking in Jakarta at the close of a meeting between foreign ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the 10-member regional bloc chaired by Indonesia this year.
Negotiations on the COC – a proposed framework to help tackle territorial and maritime disputes in the waterway – have stalled for years as some members states prioritised bilateral ties with China over a regional consensus.
The foreign minister said, Indonesia is preparing to host a round of negotiations on the COC this year, the first taking place in March.