Positive Steps in South China Sea      

Last month in Bali, China and Association of Southeast Asian Nations countries agreed on a set of guidelines for implementing the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, signed in Phnom Penh in 2002. Although the one-page set of guidelines hasn’t been published, it’s largely believed to be an interim process toward an eventual code of conduct in the South China Sea. There has even been talking about creating such a code later this year at the East Asia Summit.                  (The Diplomat)

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ASEAN integration: a long way to go      

Following the success of the 44th ASEAN ministerial meeting, leaders of the group’s 10 member states need to ask questions about the goals of integration and to what extent the concept of integration is to be developed. One of the considerable facts that should not be overlooked by the ASEAN countries is the case of the European Union (EU), the leading regional organization of states, which is currently challenged by its most promising realm: the economy. (The Jakarta Post)

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South China Sea: be aware of undercurrent   
It was amazing that given their cordial ties, China and ASEAN took almost a decade to agree on the guidelines for their conducts over the disputed South China Sea. With it, they can now begin to work together on various confidence building measures and jointly proposed projects in the huge unsettled maritime territory.   (The Nation)

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Vietnam’s New Leadership and their immediate Inflation Challenge      

Vietnam’s 500-member National Assembly convened on July 21 to formally select the country’s new leadership team for the next five years. The National Assembly’s role has largely been ceremonial because the country’s leadership was already determined behind closed doors at the Communist Party Congress in January. However, political reforms have empowered the legislative branch of the government, and rumors swirled ahead of their voting that there could be some surprises. In the event, there were no such surprises. (CogitAsia)

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ARF makes a contribution  
  
After the fireworks at last year's meeting of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), the big question at this year's get-together was whether the United States and China would again clash over the South China Sea.                  (The Japan Times)

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Bringing the IMF closer to Asia      

Christine Lagarde's maiden speech as the new chief of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) was as safe as it was predictable. Speaking to an audience of 300 at the Council of Foreign Relations in New York on Wednesday (July 27), Lagarde addressed the global challenges of sovereign debt in the United States and Europe, slowing growth in emerging markets, and social instability in the Arab world. She emphasised the core principles of the IMF she believes will keep it relevant in an increasingly interconnected world. But in that speech there was disappointingly little mention of Asia. In fact, the word China came up only once, and Asia did not get a look in at all. (ANN/The Straits Times)

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