In 2002, an important milestone was laid on one of the central-most security issues of Southeast Asia when ASEAN and China signed the Declaration of Conduct of the Parties on the South China Sea (DOC). The document soon became a frequently talked about topic relating to the regional security architecture, one that raised much hope but also questions about the management of one of the most enduring security challenges of the region.
This chapter seeks to review ASEAN’s approach to building a set of codes to regulate the conduct of the stakeholders in the South China Sea, and how the Declaration of Conduct of the Parties on the South China Sea (DOC) influenced ASEAN engagement with China after its signing. The chapter would also assess the DOC’s implementation over the past 20 years, reviews current efforts to upgrade the DOC into the supposedly superior Code of Conduct, and suggest a way forward.