Cambodia says Southeast Asian foreign ministers have moved closer to agreement on guidelines for preventing territorial disputes in the South China Sea.

A Cambodian foreign ministry official said Monday top diplomats of the Association of Southeast Asian nations made progress in drafting a maritime Code of Conduct, or COC, on the first day of an annual forum in Phnom Penh.

“They met and they adopted the key elements of the COC only among the member states, and from now on they will have to start assessments with China.”

The official did not elaborate on the key elements of the Code of Conduct.

Six governments claim all or part of the South China Sea, with its vast fishing grounds and potential oil and gas deposits. The claimants include Brunei, China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam.

A Chinese foreign ministry spokesman said Beijing is willing to discuss a Code of Conduct that builds mutual trust in the South China Sea when “conditions are ripe.” But, the spokesman said such a document should not try to resolve maritime disputes between China and ASEAN as a whole. Beijing insists on negotiating with its neighbors bilaterally.

Regional tensions have risen recently, with the Philippines and Vietnam accusing China of aggressive behavior in the sea.