China, rivals sign pact to ease maritime tensions

BEIJING: China, the United States, Japan and more than a dozen other Asia-Pacific countries have signed a naval agreement aimed at ensuring miscommunication between ships at sea does not escalate into conflict.

The Code for Unplanned Encounters at Sea, which was agreed on Tuesday (Wednesday in Manila) in the eastern port city of Qingdao, will reduce the potential for “situations to arise that could lead to conflict in busy sea lanes,” the state-run China Daily said.