<span style="color: #222222;">Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte urged progress on a code of conduct for the contested South China Sea. He also expressed deep concerns about the escalating US-China trade war and its impact on the global economy, including that of his country.</span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">At an economic forum in Tokyo, he warned that the South China Sea issue was becoming a "flashpoint" with China.  China claims sovereignty over most of the resource-rich sea. These claims are disputed by the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, Taiwan and Vietnam.</span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Beijing and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have tried to create a code of conduct to govern the disputed waters for years, but the process has been slow.</span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Duterte is visiting Japan for talks with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. He said a protracted dispute would shrink world trade and investment.</span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Duterte and Abe met today and discussed trade, investment and growing Chinese activity in disputed regional seas.                 </span><br />''