Hotline and rules mulled for accidents, emergencies

New rules and a hotline designed to tackle accidental encounters and emergencies in the South China Sea have been discussed by China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

The rules and hotline, together with other guidelines, were part of a package of measures on the agenda at the ninth Senior Officials' Meeting on the Implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea.

The measures are aimed at "effectively controlling the maritime situation and preventing unexpected incidents from happening", said a statement released after the meeting in Tianjin on Wednesday.