Beijing and Asean reach agreement on South China Sea code progress.

ASEAN and Beijing have agreed on the next step for a delayed code of conduct to regulate behavior in the disputed South China Sea. The second reading will be completed "within the year" after the first formal meeting of the negotiating parties since 2021. The Philippines and Vietnam have also struck a separate agreement to prioritize the conclusion of a "substantive" code. The South China Sea is regarded by the US as critical to its Indo-Pacific strategy.