Senior diplomats from China and Southeast Asia gathered in China's Tianjin City on Wednesday to discuss formulating a Code of Conduct (COC) for the South China Sea and vowed to maintain peace and stability in the region.

The 9th China-ASEAN senior officials' meeting on the implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) was held in a "friendly and candid" manner, according to a press release from the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

China and ASEAN pledged to enhance practical maritime cooperation, work toward a full and effective implementation of the DOC and continue consultations on formulating the COC, the release said.

As the first political document signed between China and ASEAN on the South China Sea issue, the DOC is regarded by senior officials as a milestone in maintaining maritime peace and stability, it said.

Working to achieve full and effective implementation of the DOC is in the common interests of all parties and will contribute to the healthy development of the China-ASEAN strategic partnership, it said.

A work plan on the implementation of the DOC for 2015-2016 was adopted at the meeting. The leaders also discussed the establishment of technological committees on navigation safety and search and rescue, maritime science and combating transnational crime, according to the release.

China and ASEAN agreed to continue to work on the establishment of a hotline to respond to maritime search and rescue and other emergencies at sea, the release said.

China and ASEAN exchanged views on formulating preventive measures for risks at sea to avoid accidents and effectively manage the maritime situation while the COC is being formulated, it said.

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