China ready to speed up talks with Asean over South China Sea

• China is ready to work with Malaysia and other South-east Asian nations to speed up consultation for a South China Sea code of conduct, according to Premier Li Qiang.
• Beijing is prepared to collaborate to jointly maintain peace and stability in the area, Mr Li was cited as saying during a meeting with visiting Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on 1 Apr.
• Li also said, according to Xinhua, that China is ready to work with Malaysia and other Southeast Asian countries to actively advance negotiations on the Asean-China Free Trade Area, as well as to jointly implement the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership and promote building the East Asia economic community.
• China asserts rights to more than 80% of the South China Sea based on a 1947 map showing vague markings that have since become known as the “nine-dash line.”

External Link : https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-04-02/china-ready-to-speed-up-talks-with-asean-over-south-china-sea