Beijing and Manila working on ‘road map’ for South China Sea talks, ambassador says

China’s ambassador to the Philippines, Jing Quan, said Beijing and Manila were seeking a “road map” for the next phase of talks aimed at settling their long-running dispute in the China-sea" class="entity-link entity-location" data-entity-id="8346" data-entity-type="location">South China Sea.Speaking at a media reception at the Chinese embassy on Tuesday, Jing warned that any conflict would “inevitably harm the long-term relationship … so, the best option is to sit down for talks”, according to the state-run Philippine News Agency.He added: “At present, our diplomats from the two sides are working towards this goal, and have already reached some consensus on a road map for the next stage of dialogue and negotiation.”Jing also said China was committed to advancing negotiations with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) on a code of conduct for the China-sea" class="entity-link entity-location" data-entity-id="8346" data-entity-type="location">South China Sea.The next round of negotiations is scheduled for the first quarter of this year, and Jing described these talks as becoming “more frequent and more intensive”.He said both sides wanted to reach agreement before the end of the year – a long-standing target – particularly as Manila holds the rotating Asean chair this year.