Mô tả
The escalating tensions over territorial disputes in the South China Sea (SCS) in the last few years has been a major regional security concern in the Asia-Pacific. Against this backdrop, ASEAN, named one of the most successful regional organisations in the world, has not played a significant role in diffusing the heated quarrel among disputants. Efforts of ASEAN have brought about an eventful ARF in Hanoi in July 2010, and a set of vaguely worded guidelines for the implementation of the DOC in Bali in July 2011. However, as ASEAN is heading towards a Community, these results are far below what is expected from this group when dealing with a major regional security concern. ASEAN’s weakness in these disputes, apart from the divergent interests of ASEAN members and the limitation of ASEAN’s Way, is attributed to China’s efforts to maintain the disputes within bilateral negotiations. For many years, Beijing has objected to collective acts managing these already multilateral conflicts, claiming that China does not have territorial disputes with ASEAN and that any intention to ‘internationalise’ the issue will only make it more complicated. This paper argues that ASEAN has interests, responsibilities, and the ability to actively engage in the issue and contribute to the settlement of the dispute.
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