Faced with mounting Chinese assertiveness, nothing seems to illustrate the impotence of Southeast Asian nations more than their glacial progress toward a code of conduct with Beijing on the South China Sea. It's been a marathon effort --and there's no end in sight: China has made it explicitly clear it's in no hurry to move ahead. But it would be misguided to think Beijing is shrugging off the push entirely. The 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, has been imploring China for a code of Conduct to head off exactly the sort of action that's now roiling one of the most flourishing areas of the global economy-- Beijing's decision to tow a gigantic oil drilling rig into disputed waters off Vietnam, protected by military aircraft and flotilla of ships.

Browne, A. (2014, May 15).Beijing pays a price for the assertiveness in South China Sea. Manila Bulletin, p. 12.