As country coordinator of ASEAN-China relations, Singapore will focus on the formulation of the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea, said Foreign Affairs Minister Dr Vivian Balakrishnan on Saturday (Feb 27). Speaking to the media in an interview after the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ retreat in Vientiane, Laos, Dr Balakrishnan said that ASEAN foreign ministers had reaffirmed the importance of peace and stability in the disputed waters, and called for self-restraint in the conduct of activities. The retreat is the first ministerial-level meeting since the establishment of the ASEAN community on Dec 31 last year, and the ongoing developments in the South China Sea were among the issues discussed.