China seeks resolution to sea issue

China has pledged to work with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations toward a code of conduct for the South China Sea on the basis of consensus, Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi said at the conclusion of his visit to Southeast Asia on Monday.

The five-day visit took in Indonesia and two of the four countries that have competing claims with China in the South China Sea - Malaysia and Brunei.

The visit came only weeks after an ASEAN ministerial meeting in Phnom Penh during which the Philippines inflamed tensions over the issue.