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Australian foreign minister Julie Bishop on Thursday voiced her support for the completion of a code of conduct aimed at reducing tensions amid China's aggressive claim to almost all of the South China Sea.

Bishop, who is on a visit to the Philippines, said she discussed the matter with her Filipino counterpart Albert del Rosario.

There have been heightened tensions between China and its neighbours -- including the Philippines -- because of disputes over maritime territory.

Bishop said Australia favoured the push by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to craft a "code of conduct" to better manage the issues.

"In the case of the South China Sea, we support ASEAN objectives in concluding a Code of Conduct with China and we hope that there will be some early progress on that," she said.

"We urge all sides not to escalate tensions," she added.

Read more at Channel NewsAsia

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