Bandar Seri Begawan - Security and economic issues are top on the agenda of the leaders of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) meetings in Brunei this week, a diplomatic source said Tuesday.
The leaders of the 10-nation bloc are expected to call for "continued engagement" with China over territorial disputes in the South China Sea that heightened over the past year.
"We reaffirmed our commitment to a peaceful resolution of the disputes without resorting to threats or use of force," according to a draft statement to be issued by the chairman.
A tense standoff ensued last year between the Philippines and Chinese ships in the disputed area that led Manila to seek arbitration before a tribunal in the United Nations.
Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam and Taiwan also have overlapping claims in the South China Sea.
Brunei, as chair of the Asean this year, said it hopes to see a legally binding code of conduct on the sea with China by the end of the year.//DPA
