Foreign ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states gathered in Bangkok, Thailand on Wednesday to discuss a series of issues ranging from a free-trade agreement among Asia-Pacific nations and the South China Sea code of conduct to China-U.S. trade disputes.
Diplomats from countries including China, Japan, South Korea, the U.S., the UK, Australia, Turkey, Canada and Russia also attended the meeting.
Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi will attend the ASEAN-China Ministerial Meeting on Wednesday afternoon.
China and the ASEAN countries are expected to complete the first draft of the South China Sea Code of Conduct this year. Earlier in July, the two sides completed a first reading of the draft codex for the disputed body of water.
