South China Sea issues should not become stumbling block to China-ASEAN relations: Chinese FM

MANILA, July 21 (Xinhua) -- The South China Sea is a shared home for regional countries, and South China Sea issues should not become a stumbling block to China-ASEAN relations, said Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi here on Tuesday.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks during his meeting with Kao Kim Hourn, secretary-general of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Wang said certain forces within the Philippine military and maritime law enforcement ranks have deliberately provoked incidents in the South China Sea to serve the interests of external forces, undermining the process of improving China-Philippines relations as well as peace and stability in the South China Sea.

He added that regional countries should remain highly vigilant against such moves.

Wang said China stands ready to work with ASEAN to remove disruptive factors, accelerate consultations on the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea, jointly foster a new narrative of peace, stability, cooperation and friendship in the South China Sea, and keep the initiative on South China Sea issues firmly in the hands of regional countries.