Code of Conduct on the South China Sea Dispute: What Should Be Done?

Due to the ineffectiveness of the Declaration of the Conduct to regulate the South China Sea dispute, ASEAN and China agreed to establish the Code of Conduct (COC) by introducing its drafted framework in 2017. Both parties agreed on a three-year timeline to finalise the COC by 2021. However, the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic and other regional problems has diverted the parties’ attention from the COC. This article suggests some practical options for both China and the ASEAN claimant states to accelerate the conclusion of the COC.