TOKYO -- China has changed tack on a proposed South China Sea code of conduct with Southeast Asian countries, potentially paving the way to exclude rivals, including the U.S. and Japan, from the hotly contested waters.
International relations
Beijing turns South China Sea code into barrier for US and Japan
Agreement would bar outsiders from resource and defense partnerships with ASEAN
Chinese naval soldiers patrol the Paracel Islands, known as Xisha in China, in January 2016. Beijing's growing clout in the South China Sea has been a cause for concern. © Reuters
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