„When the situation in the South China is generally stable, and if there is no major disruption from outside parties, with that as the precondition then we will consider during the November leaders‘ meeting, we will jointly announce the official start of the COC consultation,“ Wang told reporters.

„The atmosphere this year is different from the past. Thanks to our considerate efforts, the current situation in the South China Sea is showing positive momentum. We also fully recognize the trend towards relaxation in the South China Sea,“ he added.