ASEAN defense ministers are hoping that negotiations on the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea will be expedited, although Singapore’s Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen has said it would be “unrealistic” for talks to conclude within a year. ASEAN’s foreign ministers have emphasized the importance of non-militarisation and self-restraint in all activities in the South China Sea, especially those that could complicate the situation and escalate tensions. Meanwhile, a senior US diplomat touting American weapons at a Singapore trade show last week called on Southeast Asian nations to take a stronger stand on their interests in the South China Sea.