Beijing and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations have agreed to start on the third reading of a long-delayed code of conduct for the South China Sea amid rising tensions in the disputed waterway.
Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning on Thursday said Beijing and the regional bloc would "accelerate negotiations so as to strive to reach at an early date an effective and substantive" code of conduct.
The comments came a day after senior officials from the region held talks in Beijing. Hong Liang, director general of the Chinese foreign ministry's Department of Boundary and Ocean Affairs, co-chaired the meeting.
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Mao said China and Asean members had an "in-depth exchange of views" on the situation in the South China Sea and officials agreed to deepen cooperation in areas including maritime scientific research, environmental protection, and maritime law enforcement activities.
"Parties were of the view that upholding peace and stability in the South China Sea is of vital importance and called on all sides to exercise restraint, strengthen exchanges, and handle differences appropriately, so as to safeguard maritime stability," she said.
Progress on the code of conduct has been slow but countries have made efforts in recent months to accelerate negotiations. Beijing claims almost the entire resource-rich South China Sea but its claims are disputed by Asean members the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei.
The development also came as regional countries voice growing concerns over China's actions in the disputed waters.
On Monday, the Philippines summoned China's envoy to Manila over two collisions between Philippine and Chinese vessels near Second Thomas Shoal in the contested Spratly Islands, the latest incident involving the two Asian neighbours.
Philippine authorities said China's actions were "provocative", and that the Chinese maritime vessels "harassed and intentionally hit" the Philippine boats. President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr has ordered the coastguard to investigate the collisions.
China's coastguard maintains that the Philippine resupply boat had ignored repeated warnings and "deliberately stirred up trouble" by running into a Chinese fishing boat.
US President Joe Biden said Chinese vessels had "acted dangerously and unlawfully", warning that Washington would be forced to intervene if China attacked Philippine boats.