JAKARTA -- Negotiations for a South China Sea code of conduct have stalled during the coronavirus pandemic, raising concerns among some Southeast Asian nations that China will exploit the delay to consolidate its presence in disputed waters.
Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc acknowledged the standstill after a virtual summit last Friday of Association of Southeast Asian Nations leaders. Some observers now question whether the code can be agreed on by the 2021 target date proposed by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang.
