Will South China Sea’s code of conduct remain elusive as deadline looms?

Analysts warn that a long-awaited code of conduct (COC) for the South China Sea may become ineffective as China and Southeast Asian nations attempt to finalize it by the end of 2026. The proposed pact, first suggested over thirty years ago, has been stalled by disagreements on how to manage the competing territorial claims of China and four rival claimant states: Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei, and the Philippines. Maritime experts discussed these challenges at a conference in Kuala Lumpur. The core issue remains the balancing of these overlapping claims, hindering progress on the agreement.