or the first time, the Asean joint communique issued at the end of its 47th annual meeting in early August mentioned "disagreements" among Asean ministers — a departure from the past. In previous practices, the Asean members would bury their differences under the carpet. Now, some of them prefer to dramatise and wash their dirty linen for all to see. This could be the grouping's Achilles' heel in months to come.
Within the grouping, the Philippines has been the most enthusiastic in inviting the US as a countervailing power while other conflicting Asean parties were more discreet. Manila continued to view Asean as a paper tiger and wants to push its colleagues for tougher stances and actions.
The latest Asean joint communique referring to the maritime dispute was strong and thorough, considering the Asean chair's excellent ties with China. As a 'conflicted party' to the South China Sea, Kuala Lumpur has pursued quiet diplomacy with firm positions. As a former comrade in arms, Vietnam has an extra party-to-party-channel to tackle mutual concerns and trust deficits. Hanoi often backs a strong role for Asean. And, considering its size, Brunei has enjoyed good cooperation with China over their disputed claims.