儘管學者常將東協（ASEAN）的《南海行為準則》（COC）視為解決南海危機無效的外交手段，但此類批評往往忽視了 COC 進程所促進的區域整合，特別是《單一協商文本草案》（SDNT）所發揮的作用。本研究以「薄建構主義」（thin constructivism）為概念框架，探討 COC 進程如何促進國家社會化、改變簽署國的利益認知，並在東協成員國與中國之間產生規範性約束。透過內部有效性的核心維度——連貫性、一致性、權力與認可——對 COC 進程及 SDNT 進行評估，本研究發現該談判進程成功地將海洋領域的行為預期制度化。在實證層面，這些努力降低了近期海上緊張局勢的嚴重程度，同時促成了顯著的雙邊與多邊合作倡議；在理論層面，則重現了「成熟」安全共同體（mature security community）的團結精神（esprit de corps）。因此，COC 進程與 SDNT 不僅是務實的外交工具，更是維持東南亞長期和平與穩定的結構性必要條件。

While scholars often dismiss ASEAN's Code of Conduct (COC) as an ineffective diplomatic remedy for the South China Sea crisis, such critiques frequently overlook the regional integration facilitated by the COC process, particularly through the Single Draft Negotiating Text (SDNT). Employing thin constructivism as its conceptual framework, this research examines how the COC process fosters state socialization, alters signatories' interest perceptions, and generates normative constraints among the ASEAN member-states and China. Evaluating the COC process and the SDNT through the core dimensions of internal effectiveness—coherence, consistency, power, and recognition—the study finds that the process successfully institutionalizes behavioral expectations in the sea. Empirically, these efforts have reduced the severity of recent maritime tensions while generating notable bilateral and multilateral cooperative initiatives; theoretically, they have replicated the esprit de corps of a "mature" security community. Hence, the COC process and the SDNT stand as both a pragmatic diplomatic instrument and a structural necessity for the long-term peace and stability of Southeast Asia.

Acharya, A. (2011). Asian regional institutions and the possibilities for socializing the behavior of states (ADB Working Paper Series on Regional Economic Integration No. 82). Asian Development Bank. https://hdl.handle.net/11540/2023
Acharya, A. (2014). Constructing a security community in Southeast Asia: ASEAN and the problem of regional order (3rd ed.). Routledge.
Aditomo, F. M., & Prasetyono, E. (2022). Review of the formulating of the Code of Conduct in South China Sea between ASEAN and the People's Republic of China. Konfrontasi: Jurnal Kultural, Ekonomi dan Perubahan Sosial, 9(1), 119-130. https://doi.org/10.33258/konfrontasi2.v9i1.199
Adler, E., & Barnett, M. (Eds.). (1998). Security communities. Cambridge University Press.
Amrullah, M. (2024). The relevance of structural realist analysis in deconstructing anarchy in the South China Sea conflict. Journal of Global and Area Studies, 8(2), 129–153. https://doi.org/10.31720/JGA.8.2.7
Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative. (2025). China island tracker. Center for Strategic and International Studies. https://amti.csis.org/island-tracker/china/
Association of Southeast Asian Nations. (1967, August 8). The ASEAN declaration (Bangkok declaration), Bangkok, Thailand. https://agreement.asean.org/media/download/20140117154159.pdf
Association of Southeast Asian Nations. (1976, February 22). Treaty of amity and cooperation in Southeast Asia. https://asean.org/treaty-of-amity-and-cooperation-in-southeast-asia-indonesia-24-february-1976/
Association of Southeast Asian Nations. (n.d.). ASEAN–China economic relations. https://asean.org/our-communities/economic-community/integration-with-global-economy/asean-china-economic-relation/
Association of Southeast Asian Nations. (1992, July 22). Joint communiqué of the twenty-fifth ASEAN Ministerial Meeting, Manila, 21–22 July 1992.
Association of Southeast Asian Nations. (1995, August 1). Chairman’s statement: The second ASEAN Regional Forum. https://aseanregionalforum.asean.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Second-ARF-Bandar-Seri-Begawan-1-August-1995.pdf
Association of Southeast Asian Nations. (2002, November 4). Declaration on the conduct of parties in the South China Sea. https://asean.org/declaration-on-the-conduct-of-parties-in-the-south-china-sea-2/
Association of Southeast Asian Nations. (2007). Charter of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Singapore.
Association of Southeast Asian Nations. (2008). Charter of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Jakarta.
Association of Southeast Asian Nations. (2011, July 20). 2011 guidelines for the implementation of the Code of Conduct on the South China Sea (DOC). https://www.asean.org/wp-content/uploads/images/archive/documents/20185-DOC.pdf
Association of Southeast Asian Nations. (2012, July 20). Statement of ASEAN foreign ministers on ASEAN’s six-point principles on the South China Sea. https://www.asean.org/wp-content/uploads/images/AFMs%20Statement%20on%206%20Principles%20on%20SCS.pdf
Association of Southeast Asian Nations. (2016, July 24). Joint communiqué of the 49th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting. https://asean.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Joint-Communique-of-the-49th-AMM-ADOPTED.pdf
Association of Southeast Asian Nations. (2024, October 10). Luxembourg signs Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia. https://asean.org/luxembourg-signs-treaty-of-amity-and-cooperation-in-southeast-asia/
Association of Southeast Asian Nations. (2026, May 8). ASEAN Leaders’ declaration on maritime cooperation. Cebu, Philippines.
Association of Southeast Asian Nations Secretariat. (2012, April 2). Recent developments on the implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea. Jakarta.
Azman, A. A., & Kumar, S. (2018). ASEAN’s principled pragmatism and the evolving normative security strategy on the South China Sea. AEI Insights, 4(1), 34–48.
Ba, A. D. (2006). Who’s socializing whom? Complex engagement in Sino-ASEAN relations. The Pacific Review, 19(2), 157–179. https://doi.org/10.1080/09512740500473163
Ba, A. (2011). Staking claims and making waves in the South China Sea: How troubled are the waters? Contemporary Southeast Asia, 33(3), 269—291. https://doi.org/10.1355/cs33-3a
Beeson, M. (2016). Can ASEAN cope with China? Journal of Current Southeast Asian Affairs, 35(1), 5–28. doi:10.1177/186810341603500101
Bennett, Z. (2016). Immanuel Kant, perpetual peace: A philosophic sketch (1795). Classics of Strategy and Diplomacy. https://classicsofstrategy.com/2016/01/19/kant-perpetual-peace-1795/
Bernama-PNA (2026). Next SCS Code of Conduct Negotiations Set in Singapore This Month. Bernama. https://asean.bernama.com/news.php?id=2526184.
Banlaoi, R. (2021). China-ASEAN relations at 30: Pursuing maritime cooperation in South China Sea. Eurasia Review. https://www.eurasiareview.com/06112021-china-asean-relations-at-30-pursuing-maritime-cooperation-in-south-china-sea-analysis/.
Brattberg, E., & Rhinard, M. (2013). Actorness and effectiveness in international disaster relief: The European Union and United States in comparative perspective. International Relations, 27(3), 356–374. doi:10.1177/0047117813497298.
Buendia, R. G. (2026). The ASEAN Way under pressure in response to a fractured world order. E-International Relations. https://www.e-ir.info/2026/05/08/the-asean-way-under-pressure-in-response-to-a-fractured-world-order/
Buszynski, L., & Hai, D.T. (Eds.). (2020). The South China Sea: From a regional maritime dispute to geo-strategic competition. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429331480
Buszynski, L. (2024). Geopolitics of Southeast Asia. In: Cope, Z. (eds) The Palgrave Handbook of Contemporary Geopolitics (pp. 1-22). Chapter, Palgrave Macmillan.
Caballero-Anthony, M. (2022). The ASEAN way and the changing security environment: Navigating challenges to informality and centrality. International Politics, 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41311-022-00400-0
Chang, F. K. (2020). Uncertain prospects: South China Sea code of conduct negotiations. Foreign Policy Research Institute. https://www.fpri.org/article/2020/10/uncertain-prospects-south-china-sea-code-of-conduct-negotiations/
Checkel, J. T. (2001). Why comply? Social learning and European identity change. International Organization, 55(3), 553–588. https://doi.org/10.1162/00208180152507551.
Cheeppensook, K. (2020). ASEAN in the South China Sea conflict, 2012–2018: A lesson in conflict transformation from normative power Europe. International Economics and Economic Policy, 17(3), 747–764. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10368-020-00477-z
Chubb, A. (2021). PRC assertiveness in the South China Sea: Measuring continuity and change, 1970–2015. International Security, 45(3), 79–121. https://doi.org/10.1162/isec_a_00400.
Connelly, A. (2022). The often-overlooked meaning of ‘ASEAN centrality.’ International Institute for Strategic Studies. https://www.iiss.org/online-analysis/online-analysis/2022/06/the-often-overlooked-meaning-of-asean-centrality/
Cook, M. (2018). Southeast Asia’s developing divide. In G. Rozman and J. Liow (Eds.), International relations and Asia’s southern tier: ASEAN, Australia and India, 63–76. Singapore: Palgrave MacMillan.
Council on Foreign Relations. (2024). Territorial disputes in the South China Sea. Global Conflict Tracker. https://www.cfr.org/global-conflict-tracker/conflict/territorial-disputes-south-china-sea
Davies, M. (2016). ASEAN centrality losing ground. East Asia Forum. http://www.eastasiaforum.org/2016/09/04/asean-centrality-losing-ground/
Deutsch, K., et al. (1957). Political community and the North Atlantic area: International organization in the light of historical experience. Princeton University Press.
Duong, H. T. T. (2026). ASEAN and the South China Sea: Traditional security cooperation mechanisms and Vietnam's strategic engagement. In Emerging Maritime Security Strategies of Global Powers (pp. 353–378). IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/979-8-3373-4470-6.ch015
Duryea, S. (2022). Realism, liberalism, and constructivism: A primer on international relations theory. Mises Institute. https://mises.org/power-market/realism-liberalism-and-constructivism-primer-international-relations-theory
Egberink, F., & van der Putten, F.-P. (2011). ASEAN, China’s rise and geopolitical stability in Asia (Clingendael Papers No. 2). Netherlands Institute of International Relations “Clingendael.” https://www.clingendael.org/sites/default/files/2016-02/ASEAN%2C%20China%27s%20rise%20and%20geopolitical%20stability%20in%20Asia.pdf
Espenilla, J. (2020). The Philippines–China joint development. In L. Buszynski & D. T. Hai (Eds.), The South China Sea: From a regional maritime dispute to geo-strategic competition (pp. 93–107). Routledge.
Fravel, T. (2011). China’s Strategy in the South China Sea. Contemporary Southeast Asia, 33 (3), 292–319. https://doi.org/10.1355/cs33-3b.
Gamas, J. (2014). The tragedy of the Southeast Asian commons: Ritualism in ASEAN’s response to the South China Sea maritime dispute. European Journal of East Asian Studies, 13(1), 33–49. https://doi.org/10.1163/15700615-01301004
Ghosh, N. (2017). Asean is focused on settling code of conduct for South China Sea: Vivian. The Straits Times. https://www.straitstimes.com/world/united-states/asean-is-focused-on-settling-code-of-conduct-for-south-china-sea-vivian
Groen, L., & Niemann, A. (2013). The European Union at the Copenhagen climate negotiations: A case of contested EU actorness and effectiveness. International Relations, 27(3), 308–324. doi:10.1177/0047117813497302.
Guo, Y., & Pou, S. (Eds.). (2025). Sustainable peace of the South China Sea: The 20th anniversary of signing the declaration on the conduct of parties in the South China Sea. World Scientific.
Ha, H. T., & Ha, H. T. (2019). In From declaration to code: Continuity and change in China’s engagement with ASEAN on the South China Sea (pp. 1–37). Chapter, ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute.
Hasan, M. (2025). Press statement by the chair of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Retreat. ASEAN Malaysia 2025, Langkawi, Malaysia. https://asean.org/press-statement-by-the-chair-of-the-asean-foreign-ministers-retreat-2/
Head, J. (2016). What’s the point of ASEAN? BBC News, Asia online. http://www.bbc. com/news/world-asia-36881530.
Hernandez, S. (2016). The 'ASEAN Way' and the South China Sea disputes: Institutional design and cooperation on regional security issues. Southeast Asia Research Centre Working Paper Series, 184, 1-18.
Hiep, L. H. (2019). Vietnam’s position on the South China Sea Code of Conduct. ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute, 22, 1-8.
Hoang, T. H., & Chalermpalanupap, T. (2018). ASEAN matters for Southeast Asia and the world (Issue 2). ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute, ASEAN Studies Centre. https://www.iseas.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/pdfs/ASEANMattersIssue2.pdf
Hoang, T. H. (2020). ASEAN and the South China Sea Code of Conduct: Raising the aegis of international law. ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute. https://www.iseas.edu.sg/media/commentaries/asean-and-the-south-china-sea-code-of-conduct-raising-the-aegis-of-international-law/
Hsiao Hsiu-an. 蕭琇安（2025）。南海《行為準則》談判在中共「灰色地帶」策略中的角色，國際情勢特刊，46，39-49。https://tpl.ncl.edu.tw/NclService/JournalContentDetail?SysId=A2025250405
Hu, L. (2023). Examining ASEAN’s effectiveness in managing South China Sea disputes. The Pacific Review, 36(1), 119–147. https://doi.org/10.1080/09512748.2021.1934519
Huong, L. (2018). The dangerous quest for a Code of Conduct in the South China Sea. Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative. https://amti.csis.org/the-dangerous-quest-for-a-code-of-conduct-in-the-south-china-sea/
Ikenberry, G. J. (2002). America’s liberal grand strategy: Democracy and national security in the post-war era. In G. J. Ikenberry (Ed.), American foreign policy: Theoretical essays (pp. 275–289). Addison-Wesley.
International Monetary Fund. (2025). GDP per capita, current prices. IMF DataMapper. https://www.imf.org/external/datamapper/NGDPDPC@WEO/THA/IDN/PHL/VNM/MYS
International Crisis Group. (2021, November 29). The recent history of the South China Sea: A timeline. https://www.crisisgroup.org/asia-pacific/south-china-sea/recent-history-south-china-sea-timeline
International Crisis Group. (2021, December 7). Vietnam tacks between cooperation and struggle in the South China Sea. https://www.crisisgroup.org/rpt/asia-pacific/china/318-vietnam-tacks-between-cooperation-and-struggle-south-china-sea.
International Crisis Group. (2026). South China Sea. https://www.crisisgroup.org/asia-pacific/south-east-asia/south-china-sea
Jakarta Post. (2011). Border disputes, Myanmar may eclipse ASEAN’s progress.
Jayakumar, S. (1998). Closing statement at the 31st ASEAN Ministerial Meeting. Association of Southeast Asian Nations. https://asean.org/?static_post=closing-statement-of-he-prof-s-jayakumar-minister-for-foreign-affairs-at-the-thirty-first-asean-ministerial-meeting-manila-25-july-1998.
Johnston, A.I., Mastanduno, M.A., & Ikenberry, G.J. (2003). Socialization in International Institutions: The ASEAN Way and International Relations Theory.
Jones, D. M., & Smith, M. L. R. (2006). ASEAN and East Asian international relations: Regional delusion. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar.
Jones, D. M., & Smith, M. L. R. (2007). Making process not progress: ASEAN and the evolving east Asian regional order. International Security, 32(1), 148–184. https://doi.org/10.1162/isec.2007.32.1.148
Jones, D. (2016). Weak states' regionalism: ASEAN and the limits of security cooperation in Pacific Asia. International Relations of the Asia-Pacific, 16(2), 209-240. https://doi.org/10.1093/irap/lcv015
Jones, D. (2021). Hedging and grand strategy in Southeast Asian foreign policy. International Relations of the Asia-Pacific, 22, 205-235. https://doi.org/0.1093/irap/lcab003.
Jørgensen-Dahl, A. (1980). The significance of ASEAN. World Review, 19(3), 55–59.
Khoo, N. (2015). The ASEAN Security Community: A misplaced consensus. Journal of Asian Security and International Affairs, 2(2), 180-199. https://doi.org/10.1177/2347797015586126
Kivimaki, T. (2001). The long peace of ASEAN. Journal of Peace Research, 38(1), 5–25. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022343301038001001
Koga, K. (2022). Managing great power politics: ASEAN, institutional strategy, and the South China Sea. Palgrave Macmillan.
Kong, L. (2025). Substantive issues surrounding the COC consultation: Forging a legal path forward for the negotiators. In Y. Guo & S. Pou (Eds.), Sustainable peace of the South China Sea: The 20th anniversary of signing the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (pp. 49–69). World Scientific. https://doi.org/10.1142/9789811296031_0003
Kuik, C. (2025). The DOC and dispute management in the South China Sea: Maintaining dialogue, maximizing convergences. In Y. Guo & S. Pou (Eds.), Sustainable peace of the South China Sea: The 20th anniversary of signing the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (pp. 193–208). World Scientific. https://doi.org/10.1142/9789811296031_0010
Kumar, A. (2025). China’s use of armed coercion against its southern neighbours in 2024. Observer Research Foundation. https://www.orfonline.org/research/china-s-use-of-armed-coercion-against-its-southern-neighbours-in-2024
Kurus, B. (1995). The ASEAN triad: National interest, consensus-seeking, and economic co-operation. Contemporary Southeast Asia, 16(4), 404–420. http://www.jstor.org/stable/25798260
Lacanlale, A. O. (1981). Community formation in ASEAN’s external relations. In R. P. Anand & P. V. Quisumbing (Eds.), ASEAN: Identity, development and culture. University of the Philippines Law Centre & East–West Culture Learning Institute.
Lardo, N. R. (2021). ASEAN Way: Managing expectation in the Code of Conduct for the South China Sea. Global: Jurnal Politik Internasional, 23(2), 218–235. https://doi.org/10.7454/global.v23i2.666
Launey, G. (2012). Has Chinese power driven Asean nations apart? BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-18897855
Lee, H. L. (2005, September 28). Speech to the ASEAN 100 Leadership Forum. Singapore.
Leviter, L. (2011). The ASEAN charter: ASEAN failure or member failure? International Law and Politics, 43(159), 159-210.
Li, Y. (2026). COC entails collective efforts in interest of common good. China Daily. https://global.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202603/09/WS69aebb9aa310d6866eb3cd4e.html
Li, Z. (2006). Li Zhaoxing chanshu wo dui nengyuan anquan dongmeng gongtongti jianshe kanfa [Li Zhaoxing explains Chinese views on energy security and the building of the ASEAN community]. People’s Daily.
Luard, E. (1986). War in international society: A study in international sociology. London: Tauris.
Mangku, D. G. S., & Firdaus, N. M. A. (2022). International law and the role of the state of Indonesia in ASEAN as a conflict medium on South China Sea issues. Jurnal Komunikasi Hukum (JKH), 8(1), 453–468. https://doi.org/10.23887/jkh.v8i1.47022.
Mastanduno, M. (2014). “Realism and Asia.” In The Oxford Handbook of The International Relations of Asia, eds. Saddia M. Pekkanen, John Ravenhill, and Rosemary Foot. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
McLaughlin, R. (2022). The law of the sea and PRC gray-zone operations in the South China Sea. American Journal of International Law, 116(4), 821-835. https://doi.org/10.1017/ajil.2022.49
Mazarr, M. J. (2015). Mastering the gray zone: Understanding a changing era of conflict. U.S. Army War College Press. https://press.armywarcollege.edu/monographs/428
Mearsheimer, J. (2001). The tragedy of great power politics. W. W. Norton & Company.
Mearsheimer, J. (2010). The gathering storm: China’s challenge to US power in Asia, The Chinese Journal of International Politics, 3(4), 381-396. https://doi.org/10.1093/cjip/poq016.
Mengshu, Z. (2020). A brief overview of Alexander Wendt’s constructivism. E-International Relations. https://www.e-ir.info/2020/05/19/a-brief-overview-of-alexander-wendts-constructivism/.
Minh, L. L. (2013) “ASEAN and the South China Sea: Issues, progress and future prospects.” At the Regional Conference: ASEAN and the South China Sea: Achievements, Challenges and Future Direction. https://asean.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/19-september-2013_regional-cooperation-south-china-sea_achievements-challenges-and-future-direction-phnom-penh-cambodia.pdf.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China. (2019). Position paper on South China Sea issues. https://www.fmprc.gov.cn/nanhai/eng/wjbxw_1/201908/t20190802_8523406.html
Narine, S. (2018). The new ASEAN in Asia pacific and beyond. Boulder: Lynne Reiner.
National Institute for South China Sea Studies. (2018). A South China Sea code of conduct has become a holy grail. https://en.nanhai.org.cn/index/research/paper_c/id/188.html.
National Institute for South China Sea Studies (2011). “Zhuanfang zhongguo nanhai yanjiuyuan yuanzhang Wu Shicun [An interview with Wu Shicun from NISCSS],” Nanfeng chuang [South Reviews], Issue 17.
Nguyen, H. S. (2020). ASEAN and the South China Sea. In L. Buszynski & D. T. Hai (Eds.), The South China Sea: From a regional maritime dispute to geo-strategic competition (pp. 24–42). Routledge.
Nguyen, H. K. T. (2023). Law and (dis) order in the South China Sea. Asia Policy, 18(2), 127–164. https://doi.org/10.1353/asp.2023.0011
Nguyen, H.K. T. (2024). Mapping a decade of disputant and non-disputant behaviors in the South China Sea dispute. Marine Policy, 165, 106189. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpol.2024.106189
Nguyen, H. S. (2025). ASEAN’s 20 years of continued efforts to engage China on the South China Sea: Lessons from the DOC and the way forward. In Y. Guo & S. Pou (Eds.), Sustainable peace of the South China Sea: The 20th anniversary of signing the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (pp. 253–267). World Scientific. https://doi.org/10.1142/9789811296031_0014
Nguyen, T. T. H. (2020). Vietnam and the South China Sea. In L. Buszynski & D. T. Hai (Eds.), The South China Sea: From a regional maritime dispute to geo-strategic competition (pp. 77–92). Routledge.
Niquet, V. (2019). China’s maritime strategy since 2018: tactical appeasement or strategic evolution? The Japan Institute of International Affairs, 3(2), 1-8.
Ocean Affairs Council. (2025). 東協機制下之海洋事務合作 [Maritime affairs cooperation under ASEAN mechanisms], 3, 41–44.
Onuf, N. (1989) World of our making: Rules and rule in social theory and international relations. University of South Carolina Press.
Oo, U. Z. (2025). A stronger DOC toward the successful completion of a reliable COC: The ADMM in the context of the South China Sea issue. In Y. Guo & S. Pou (Eds.), Sustainable peace of the South China Sea: The 20th anniversary of signing the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (pp. 209–229). World Scientific. https://doi.org/10.1142/9789811296031_0011
Owen, E., & Guajardo, J. (2026). 10 years after the arbitration ruling, might makes right in the South China Sea. The Diplomat. https://thediplomat.com/2026/05/10-years-after-the-arbitration-ruling-might-makes-right-in-the-south-china-sea/
Pan, G., & Phan, T. H. (2024). The transformation of asymmetry: The evolution of Philippine and Vietnamese South China Sea policies and the asymmetry of attention. The Pacific Review, 37(1), 86–117. https://doi.org/10.1080/09512748.2022.2130411
Parameswaran, P. (2017). Will a China-ASEAN South China Sea Code of Conduct really matter? The Diplomat. https://www.proquest.com/docview/1938528664
Pedrozo, R. (2021). Is a South China Sea Code of Conduct viable? International Law Studies, 97, 936–955.
People’s Net & People’s Daily. (2011). Balidao fengxiang shangdai guancha [the trend in Bali still needs observation]. Sina. http://news.sina.com.cn/c/2011-07 22/032622855529.shtml.
Purnama, Y., & Rakhmat, M. Z. (2026). ASEAN’s push to finalize the South China Sea Code of Conduct places Indonesia in a pivotal role. Global Policy Journal. https://www.globalpolicyjournal.com/blog/16/02/2026/aseans-push-finalize-south-china-sea-code-conduct-places-indonesia-pivotal-role
Rita, J. (2025). ASEAN, China agree to have South China Sea Code of Conduct by 2026 — DFA. GMA News Online. https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/943788/asean-china-agree-south-china-sea-code-of-conduct-2026-dfa/story/
Roberts, C. B. (2018). ASEAN, the “South China Sea” arbitral award, and the code of conduct: New challenges, new approaches. Asian Politics & Policy, 10(2), 190–218. https://doi.org/10.1111/aspp.12391
Rocamora, A. J. L. (2020). SCS maritime issue “not sum total” of PH-China ties. Philippine News Agency. https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1109030.
Roy, D. (2024). ASEAN stands idly by, as usual, on South China Sea. Asia Times. https://www.asiatimes.com/2024/03/asean-stands-idly-by-as-usual-on-south-china-sea/
Sato, M. (2025). Rhetoric vs. reality: The Philippines, ASEAN, and the South China Sea. Center for Strategic and International Studies. https://www.csis.org/analysis/rhetoric-vs-reality-philippines-asean-and-south-china-sea
Scharff, C. (2016). Disputes in the South China Sea and the challenge of cooperation [Master’s Thesis, Aalborg University].
Sembiring, A., et al. (2024). The implementation of confidence-building measures (CBMs) in the South China Sea for regional stability through the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF). Jurnal Pertahanan, 10 (2), 308-320. https://doi.org/10.33172/jp.v10i2.19559
Serey, R. (2021). “ASEAN's ineffective response to The South China Sea disputes.” Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations. 7651. https://huskiecommons.lib.niu.edu/allgraduate-thesesdissertations/7651.
Severino, R.C. (2004). Towards an ASEAN Security Community. Trends in Southeast Asia, 8, 1-23.
Severino, R.C. (2005). Framing the ASEAN Charter. Singapore: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies.
Severino, R. C. (2006). Southeast Asia in search of an ASEAN Community: Insights from the former ASEAN Secretary-General. Institute of Southeast Asian Studies.
Shang, Y., & Zhou, Q. (2026). China’s import export in 2025: Trade resilience and structural shifts. China Briefing. https://www.china-briefing.com/news/chinas-import-export-2025/
Simões, L. (2022). “The role of ASEAN in the South China Sea disputes.” In Asian Territorial and Maritime Disputes: A Critical Introduction. E-International Relations.
Singh, B., Ho, S., & Tsjeng, H. Z. (2016). ASEAN unity in the face of China’s unilateral “consensus”. S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies. https://rsis.edu.sg/rsis-publication/rsis/co16151-asean-unity-in-the-face-of-chinas-unilateral-consensus/
Snyder, J. (2011). Religion and international relations theory. Columbia University Press.
South China Sea Expert Working Group. (2018). A blueprint for a South China Sea Code of Conduct. Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative. https://amti.csis.org/blueprint-for-south-china-sea-code-of-conduct/
Spastyono, J. (2024). ASEAN non-interference under heavy pressure: Is it change or crises for ASEAN peace? Jurnal Hubungan Internasional 17(1), 92-106. https://doi.org/10.20473/jhi.v17i1.50764
Storey, I. (2015). ASEAN’s failing grade in the South China Sea. The Asan Forum. https://theasanforum.org/aseans-failing-grade-in-the-south-china-sea/.
Strangio, S. (2025). Philippines hoping to conclude South China Sea Code of Conduct in 2026. The Diplomat. https://thediplomat.com/2025/11/philippines-hoping-to-conclude-south-china-sea-code-of-conduct-in-2026/
Strating, B. (2022). China’s nine dash line proves stranger than fiction. Lowy Institute. https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/china-s-nine-dash-line-proves-stranger-fiction
Stubbs, R. (2019). ASEAN sceptics versus ASEAN proponents: Evaluating regional institutions. The Pacific Review, 32(6), 923-950. https://doi.org/10.1080/09512748.2019.1611627
Tamayo, B. (2025). Vietnam: Code of Conduct on South China Sea ‘most important to ASEAN’. The Manila Times. https://www.manilatimes.net/2025/11/26/news/national/vietnam-code-of-conduct-on-south-china-sea-most-important-to-asean/
Tekunan, S. (2014). "The ASEAN Way: the way to regional peace?" Jurnal Hubungan Internasional, 3(2), 142-147. https://doi.org/10.18196/hi.2014.0056.142-147
Thayer, C. (2012). ASEAN’S Code of Conduct in the South China Sea: A litmus test for community-building? The Asia-Pacific Journal, 10 (34).
Thayer, C. (2013). ASEAN, China, and the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea. SAIS Review of International Affairs, 33(2): 75-84.
Thayer, C. (2018). A closer look at the ASEAN China single draft South China Sea Code of Conduct. The Diplomat. https://thediplomat.com/2018/08/a-closer-look-at-the-asean-china-single-draft-south-china-sea-code-of-conduct/
Thayer, C. (2020). ASEAN, China, and the Code of Conduct. In L. Buszynski & D. T. Hai (Eds.), The South China Sea: From a regional maritime dispute to geo-strategic competition (pp. 43–59). Routledge.
Thayer, C. (2021). The South China Sea in multilateral forums: Five case studies. In Maritime Issues and Regional Order in the Indo-Pacific, 71–86. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-68038-1_5
Tønnesson, S. (2020). Four aspects of the crisis in the South China Sea. In L. Buszynski & D. T. Hai (Eds.), The South China Sea: From a regional maritime dispute to geo-strategic competition (pp. 9–23). Routledge.
Trang, P. N. M. (2025). The 2016 South China Sea ruling at nine: Where does ASEAN stand? Fulcrum. https://fulcrum.sg/the-2016-south-china-sea-ruling-at-nine-where-does-asean-stand/
Trystanto, T. (2022). Assessing the potential effectiveness of the ASEAN-China Code of Conduct on the South China Sea in constraining Chinese aggressive actions. Padjadjaran Journal of International Law, 6(2), 136–159. https://doi.org/10.23920/pjil.v6i2.778
United States Senate Committee on Armed Forces. (2018), “Advance policy questions for Admiral Philip Davidson, USN expected nominee for commander, U.S. Pacific Command.” https://www.armed-services.senate.gov/download/davidson_apqs_04-17-18.
Valockova, B. (2025). ASEAN centrality and its narratives in an evolving regional order. E-International Relations. https://www.e-ir.info/2025/03/26/asean-centrality-and-its-narratives-in-an-evolving-regional-order/
Vaughan, A. (2021). Chinese realism: Why were the liberal internationalists wrong on China? National Institute for Public Policy. https://nipp.org/information_series/alexander-vaughan-chinese-realism-why-were-the-liberal-internationalists-wrong-on-china-no-500-august-30-2021/
Venkataramani, B. (2025). With the Philippines as ASEAN chair, a South China Sea agreement is unlikely to be concluded in 2026. Chatham House. https://www.chathamhouse.org/2025/12/philippines-asean-chair-south-china-sea-agreement-unlikely-be-concluded-2026
Vinh, V. X., Binh, N. T., & Hiep, T. X. (2024). From declarations to negotiations: ASEAN’s role in managing the South China Sea dispute. Contemporary Chinese Political Economy and Strategic Relations: An International Journal, 10(2), 136–162. https://icaps.nsysu.edu.tw/static/file/131/1131/img/2375/CCPS10(2)Vinh,Binh&Hiep.pdf
Vu, M. (2023). “First stalled, now at full sail: China’s rush toward a South China Sea Code of Conduct.” Australian Institute of International Affairs. https://www.internationalaffairs.org.au/australianoutlook/first-stalled-now-at-full-sail-chinas-rush-toward-a-south-china-sea-code-of-conduct/.
Walt, Stephen (1987). The Origins of Alliances. Cornell University Press.
Waltz, K. N. (1979). Theory of international politics. Addison-Wesley.
Wang, Y. (2014). Dealing with the South China Sea issue with a “dual-track” approach. People’s Daily Online. http://politics.people.com.cn/n/2014/0809/c70731-25435555.html
Wendt, A. (1992). Anarchy is what states make of it: The social construction of power politics. International Organization, 46(2), 391–425. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0020818300027764
Wendt, A. (1999). Social theory of international politics. Cambridge University Press.
The World & Vietnam Report. (2018). Preserving peace, stability in East Sea: A shared responsibility: Vice spokesperson. https://en.baoquocte.vn/preserving-peace-stability-in-east-sea-a-shared-responsibility-82132.html
Wu, L., & Zhu, W. (2025). Institutional effectiveness and mechanisms of the implementation of the DOC. In Y. Guo & S. Pou (Eds.), Sustainable peace of the South China Sea: The 20th anniversary of signing the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (pp. 95–124). World Scientific. https://doi.org/10.1142/9789811296031_0005
Wu, Y. (2024). Textual analysis of ASEAN's South China Sea policy—Take the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (2002) as an example. Journal of Political Science Research, 5(1), 61–66. https://doi.org/10.23977/polsr.2024.050109
Yan, Y. (2022). ASEAN, China and the COC negotiation: How unrelevant is historic rights? South China Sea Strategic Situation Probing Initiative (SCSPI). https://www.scspi.org/en/dtfx/asean-china-and-coc-negotiation-how-unrelevant-historic-rights/
Yi, S. W. (2026). Between talks and tensions: Why the South China Sea won't stabilise in 2026. Fulcrum. https://fulcrum.sg/between-talks-and-tensions-why-the-south-china-sea-wont-stabilise-in-2026/
Young, K. (1966). The Southeast Asia crisis. The Association of the Bar of the City of New York.
Yukawa, T. (2018). The ASEAN Way as a symbol: An analysis of discourses on the ASEAN norms. The Pacific Review, 31(3), 298–314. https://doi.org/10.1080/09512748.2017.1371211
Zhao, W. (2020). Yuenan zai nanhai de xindongxiang yu zhongyue guanxi zoushi [Vietnam’s new action in South China Sea: Motivations, goals and trends]. Journal of Boundary and Ocean Studies [Bianjie yu Haiyang Yanjiu], 5(1), 99–110.
Zhang, Y., & Wang, Y. (2017). ASEAN in China’s grand strategy. Economic Research Institute for ASEAN & East Asia, 158-175. https://doi.org/20.500.12592/s81j96
Zhang, K. (2019). Cautious Bully: Reputation, Resolve, and Beijing’s Use of Coercion in the South China Sea. International Security, 44(1), 117–159. https://www.jstor.org/stable/26777884
Zhang, R. (2020). Beating the odds: How ASEAN helped Southeast Asia succeed. Harvard Political Review. https://harvardpolitics.com/asean-beats-the-odds/.
Zhang, K. (2023). Coercion in the South China Sea. In China’s Gambit: The Calculus of Coercion (pp. 46–96). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Zhao, Q. (2025). The DOC and China–ASEAN maritime cooperation. In Y. Guo & S. Pou (Eds.), Sustainable peace of the South China Sea: The 20th anniversary of signing the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (pp. 29–48). World Scientific. https://doi.org/10.1142/9789811296031_0002
Zhu, F., & Liu, Z. (2025). Twenty years of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea: China–ASEAN relations. In Y. Guo & S. Pou (Eds.), Sustainable peace of the South China Sea: The 20th anniversary of signing the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (pp. 1–28). World Scientific. https://doi.org/10.1142/9789811296031_0001