S. China Sea Code of Conduct text advances

State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi confirmed on Wednesday that China and members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations have finished the first reading of a draft text of a key document regarding the South China Sea ahead of time.

Wang was referring to the most recent progress on the single draft negotiating text for an anticipated pact - the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea.

Consultations over the pact were launched by China and ASEAN in 2013, and it aims to further boost the South China Sea region's stability and peace.