How to resolve disputes and maintain peace in the South China Sea? Dr. Yan Yan, expert from National Institute for South China Sea Studies, emphasizes China and ASEAN's common desire to finalize Code of Conduct at an early date. But she also admits that this will take time.

Yan Yan: I think it is both China and ASEAN's common desire to reach, to finalize the COC at an early date because it is regional rules that we, China and ASEAN, both established on our own for regional peace and without extra-regional countries' involvement. The COC is, to some extent, the dos and don'ts of regional states. Therefore, I think when the COC is reached, maybe in the very near future, the regional states can know how to do and how to behave ourselves to guarantee peace and stability in the region.

Liu Xin: What about the disputes that are still standing in the way? Doctor Yan, what is China's approach or vision of resolving these differences?

Yan Yan: I think China's claim in the South China Sea, as well as China's policy on how to resolve it, is very consistent. We do think that the resolution and the final settlement of the dispute need to be between the claimant states and also through diplomatic methods. I do not see the settlement could be happening in the very near future. I think it just takes time because the South China Sea dispute is the most complicated maritime dispute in the whole world. So, it's a very extremely and highly controversial issue.

But I do think that with COC negotiation and also with the maritime cooperation projects, many of the projects are ongoing, and with many of the low-hanging fruits, and also with the China-ASEAN series of meetings, both multilateral ones and bilateral ones, I think that we can work together to guarantee peace and stability before the settlement of the final dispute.