Claimants in South China Sea dispute need to work out a collective strategy

CHINA'S announcement last week that it is using giant "island-builders" on disputed reefs and shoals in the South China Sea and that it will soon deploy new amphibious aircraft to supply these artificial islands should concentrate minds in the region.

The world is watching the transformation of all the reefs in the Spratly and Paracel chains into islands and annexation of the surrounding seas in line with Beijing's claims over nearly all of the sea within its infamous Nine Dash Line map. By the end of 2017, Beijing had added more than 1,294 ha of land to the seven territories that it occupies in the area.

Against this, Asean countries signed a framework for a Code of Conduct for the disputed region last year. The meeting in Guiyang, Chinawas the 14th senior officials' meeting on the implementation of the November 2002 non-binding Declaration on the Conduct of the Parties in the South China Sea. The details were not made public. What little is known seems to indicate that the envisioned final agreement would be a set of norms to guide the conduct of parties and promote maritime cooperation in the South China Sea. More importantly, it will not be an instrument to settle territorial disputes. As proposals go, this proposed code seems to be exceedingly modest in scope. And the negotiations are going at a glacial pace.