Indonesian soldiers killed in South China Sea exercise

This is China's first success in mining flammable ice after almost two decades of research and exploration, Minister of Land and Resources Jiang Daming said.

But Beijing's expansive claims in the sea overlap Indonesia's exclusive economic zone - waters where a state has the right to exploit resources - around the Natunas.

Addressing the event, Vietnamese Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Quoc Dung, who is head of SOM ASEAN Vietnam, called on the parties to exercise self-restraint, not to use force or threaten to use force and peacefully settle disputes in line with global law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), thus contributing to peace and stability in the East Sea.

Defence Times, a state-run newspaper, reported that Beijing has deployed the Norinco CS/AR-1 55mm anti-frogman rocket launcher defense systems on the Fiery Cross Reef of the islands. Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also have claims.

China has ignored the ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague and maintained its position that all disputes in the South China Sea should be resolved bilaterally by countries directly concerned through negotiations.

For years, Asean officials said, China was not cooperative enough, but its Foreign Minister Wang Yi suddenly unveiled to reporters last year the goal of formulating the outline by the end of June.

The rocket launchers in question have the capability to discover, identify, and attack enemy combat divers.

Mr. Abella also doubts that China would "hold back" its billion dollars' worth of pledges to the Philippines should the latter press its maritime claims during the talks.

Four China Coast Guard vessels entered Japanese waters around the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea on Thursday morning, the Japan Coast Guard said, adding that what appeared to be a drone was seen flying above them.

Although the report did not say when the systems were installed, it described the action as its May 2014 response to Vietnamese divers who installed large numbers of fishing nets in the Paracel Islands. China has reacted strongly to such American patrols.