ASEAN, China to iron out Spratlys

ASEAN, China to iron out Spratlys

SINGAPORE (AFP): Officials from ASEAN and China are to meet
this month to discuss further a contentious code of conduct over
disputed islands in the South China Sea, Philippine Foreign
Secretary Domingo Siazon said on Tuesday.

At issue in the proposed code is ASEAN's insistence that
another disputed set of islands, the Paracels, be included in the
draft, a move which Beijing rejects.

Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam are the members
of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) laying
claim to all or part of the Spratlys, along with China and
Taiwan.

The Spratlys chain straddles vital shipping lanes and is
believed to contain rich oil and gas reserves. The Paracels are
also within the South China Sea, and Vietnam has challenged
China's jurisdiction over the islands.