Draft pact shows progress possible without interference

Senior officials from China and members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations announced on Thursday in Guiyang, Southwest China's Guizhou province, that the two sides have completed the first draft of a framework for a Code of Conduct in the South China Sea.

This landmark document reflects their shared determination to build the South China Sea into a sea of peace, cooperation and friendship.

Since last year, tensions over the South China Sea disputes have abated remarkably thanks to the restraint and diplomatic efforts of the parties concerned. This has helped usher in a cordial atmosphere for talks on a Code of Conduct, thus paving the way for full and effective implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of the Parties in the South China Sea agreed in 2002.