Keeping Calm in the South China Sea

De-escalating the South China Sea.

South China Sea: Search For More Practical Code Of Conduct

By Taimoor Khan

In recent years, the disputed waters of the South China Sea have given birth to a fresh conflict that has attracted the attention of all stakeholders, both regional and extra-regional. And although states laying claim to the disputed territory seem to be always tiptoeing very close to a real conflict, all parties have made some efforts to establish a certain mechanism of order to prevent a potential crisis.

One of the first significant initiatives taken in this direction was in November 2002 when the “Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea,” also known as the DOC, was signed by all the members of ASEAN and the People’s Republic of China. Article Ten of the DOC states, “The Parties concerned reaffirm that the adoption of a code of conduct in the South China Sea would further promote peace and stability in the region and agree to work, on the basis of consensus, towards the eventual attainment of this objective.”

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Source: valuewalk.com