China’s top diplomat said on Sunday that talks for a non-aggression pact aimed at preventing clashes from erupting in the disputed South China Sea may start this year if “outside parties” don’t cause a major disruption.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said the start of talks for a “code of conduct” in the disputed waters may be announced by the heads of state of China and the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), when they meet at an annual summit in the Philippines in November if Beijing’s conditions are met.

Non-interference

Mr. Wang said those conditions include non-interference by “outside parties”, apparently referring to the United States, which Beijing has frequently accused of meddling in what it says is an Asian dispute that should be resolved only by the countries involved.

China’s territorial disputes in the strategic and potentially oil-and gas-rich waterway with five other governments intensified after it built islands in disputed waters and reportedly started to install a missile defence system on them, alarming rival claimant states, the U.S. and other Western governments. “If there is no major disruption from outside parties, with that as the precondition, then we will consider during the November leaders’ meeting, we will jointly announce the official start of the code of conduct consultation.”