Chinese and Southeast Asian diplomats renewed a vow to finalize a nonaggression pact for the South China Sea in three years, two regional diplomats said Thursday. The pledge came during a meeting last week in Beijing, where they expressed alarm over recent confrontations in the disputed waters.
The Philippines has protested what it says are increasingly dangerous and provocative maneuvers by China’s coast guard and navy ships in recent months. On Oct. 22, two Chinese ships blocked and separately collided with two Philippine vessels near the disputed Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea.
