Context
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and China recently signed a deal on the guidelines for enforcing the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC), which allows them to adopt a more well-defined route for cooperation in the region, according to analysts. The guidelines, released by senior policymakers from China and ASEAN on Wednesday, were officially endorsed by ASEAN and Chinese foreign ministers on Thursday. Though brief in content, these guidelines include principles that provide instructions for enforcing the DOC and work out procedural regulations for future cooperation, Chinese Ambassador to ASEAN Tong Xiaoling said in an interview.
