SE Asian leaders and China tout progress on South China Sea pact

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said he wanted at "all cost" to set the rules governing behaviour in those seas to avoid trouble.

Southeast Asian leaders and China are touting progress in keeping peace in the contentious South China Sea as they work toward a "code of conduct" to govern navigation routes and other activities in the region.

Speaking at the annual summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Singapore, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang cited the region's management of territorial disputes as an example and said the trend was toward greater stability.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said he wanted at "all cost" to set the rules governing behaviour in those seas to avoid trouble.

Duterte told reporters that relations between China and its Southeast Asian neighbours were "excellent" and that friction was between Western nations and China. He said a code of conduct was needed to avoid dangerous miscalculations.