The Guidelines on the Implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (COP) agreement reached between the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) and China at the ASEAN Summit in Bali this past July has been hailed as a breakthrough in calming regional tensions over territories in the South China Sea (SCS). Nazery Khalid, a Malaysian-based maritime analyst, discusses recent developments between China and ASEAN regarding the South China Sea.

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