2002年，中国和东盟达成了不具有法律约束力的冲突管理准则，但作为大国，中国认为与小国进行双边而非多边谈判能够获取更多利益。
In 2002, China and ASEAN agreed on a legally non-binding code of conduct for managing such disputes, but, as a large power, China believes that it will gain more in bilateral rather than multilateral negotiations with small countries.