Push for South China Sea code stirs ASEAN suspicions about Beijing's endgame

FILE PHOTO: Chinese structures are pictured in Subi Reef at disputed South China Sea, April 21, 2017. REUTERS/Erik De Castro/File Photo

MANILA (Reuters) - China's support for finalising a code of conduct in the hotly contested South China Sea is generating some hope in Southeast Asia of settling disputes, but those working out the terms remain unconvinced of Beijing's sincerity.

Signing China up to a legally binding and enforceable code for the strategic waterway has long been a goal for claimant members of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN).