China turned on the charm at a regional security meeting this week, signaling a change in tone as President Xi Jinping seeks to counter a U.S. push for more influence in Asia.

China agreed during an Association of Southeast Asian Nations-hosted forum in Brunei to meet with the 10-member group in September and develop rules to avoid conflict in waters marked by confrontations with nations such as Vietnam and the Philippines. The country also expressed unity with the U.S., South Korea and Japan to rid North Korea of nuclear weapons.

Those policy stances may reflect a more conciliatory approach after China's aggressive assertion of sovereignty claims in the South China Sea in recent years prompted its neighbors to boost security links with America. China is vying for influence in Asia while the U.S. conducts a strategic pivot toward the region and lends support to allies such as the Philippines.