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. That belief was behind China’s pressure on Cambodia to block ASEAN’s final communiqué this summer.
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。本着这种信念，中国对柬埔寨施压阻止东盟夏天发表最后公报。