Asean buys time for unity in face of larger states' dominance

Vientiane, Laos

THE 10 Asean states avoided mention of an international ruling over the South China Sea in official statements after its dialogue with China here on Wednesday. For now, that might be a good thing, because the Asean bloc and China managed to advance on two other means to dial down the tension.

One agreement was on how to deal with unplanned encounters when any of the states' naval ships and planes meet those of the others' in those waters; the other entailed setting up hotlines so that the countries' senior diplomats can get in touch with each other quickly if emergencies arise.