Countries called on to promote cooperation in South China Sea

Officials and experts attending the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference have underlined the need for the countries involved in the South China Sea issue to resolve their disputes through dialogue to promote peace, friendship and cooperation in the South China Sea.

They made the remarks on Thursday at a subforum, themed "Illuminating the Blue: Building the South China Sea into a Sea of Peace, Friendship and Cooperation", held on the sidelines of the annual conference.

They warned external countries not to stir up trouble, create disruptions or provoke confrontations in the region that would affect the peace and stability of the South China Sea.