Beijing open to code of conduct in South China Sea, but not now ASEAN told

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A code of conduct for handling disputes in the South China Sea should be discussed "gradually", Beijing said after meetings with Southeast Asian nations, suggesting any agreement is still far off.

The 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has been trying for more than a decade to secure agreement from China on a legally binding code of conduct.

Beijing claims nearly all of the South China Sea, even waters approaching the coasts of neighbouring countries and has resisted agreeing to the code, wary of giving any concessions that may weaken its claim.

Tensions have mounted over the waters in recent years, with the latest spat over concrete blocks the Philippines says China has placed on the disputed Scarborough Shoal.

Beijing humiliated Manila last year by taking effective control of the disputed Scarborough shoal, just 200 kilometres (120 miles) from the Philippines.

The Philippines said in June it was looking to give the US -- its former colonial ruler -- and Japan greater access to its military bases, as it seeks to counter what it perceives as a growing threat from China.