ABSTRACT
After the signing of the Declaration of the Conduct of the Parties in the South China Sea between China and ten ASEAN countries in 2002, the situation in this sea area has remained relatively calm and peaceful. Though there are small frictions between relevant claimants, high-profile tensions like the Mischief Event which happened in 1995 have not appeared. According to the Declaration, China and relevant ASEAN countries should work out detailed cooperative plans in the area of their common interest in the South China Sea. Cooperation in the development of oil and gas has no doubt become one of the important areas of China-ASEAN cooperation.
