Analysis: Stormy weather predicted over South China Sea dispute

A multilateral code of conduct to deal with South China Sea (SCS) territorial disputes, scheduled to be signed later in 2012, could create false expectations if it does not include actual regulations, a 27-28 June conference heard in Washington, DC.

With the exception of China, those party to the dispute insist that its peaceful resolution can only be achieved through a multilateral approach and under international law, Bonnie Glaser, senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), told the 'The South China Sea and Asia Pacific in Transition: Exploring Options for Managing Disputes' conference - the second CSIS conference on the topic held in the past two years.

Beijing maintains that the nine-dash line that represents its claims on most of the SCS is based on its historical presence in the area. It also opposes US or other external involvement and insists on bilateral negotiations with other parties: Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam and the Philippines. Both Wu Shicun, president of the National Institute for South China Sea Studies, and Fu Kuen-chen, of the KoGuan Law School at Jiaotong University in Shanghai, reiterated that position.