US-China rivalry

Last of three parts

THE South China Sea is now regarded by China as one of its “core national interest,” making it at par with Taiwan and Tibet. In view of this, China will never consent to a multilateral approach, especially one brokered by the US. Beijing is very sensitive about national sovereignty. It has been avoiding negotiations with Asean for the crafting of a legally-binding Code of Conduct in the South China Sea. The Asean Declaration on the South China Sea issued in 1992 and the Declaration on the Conduct of Pasties in the South China Sea of 2002 are both obsolescent. But in a body that makes decisions by consensus and where sovereign will adheres closely to national interest, a common stand by Asean or solidarity in forging a binding Code of Conduct with China is difficult to achieve. This matter has been pending for over a decade now.