U.S. President Donald Trump and Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang underscored the importance of free and open access to South China Sea, in a joint statement

In the South China Sea, Russia and China do not have, and nor do they seek, a formal alliance. Instead they have agreed to cooperate and coordinate on international issues over which their interests converge. On issues where their interests diverge—and especially those pertaining to each other’s core interests—they have agreed not to oppose each other.

One of the biggest geopolitical shocks of Rodrigo Duterte’s presidency is the dramatic realignment in strategic relations among Southeast Asian claimant states, particularly between the Philippines and Vietnam. What looked like a promising alliance-in-the-making has suddenly turned into low-intensity bilateral tensions, with the two protagonists openly clashing over how to best deal with the China threat in the South China Sea.

China has lodged solemn representations with the United States after a U.S. destroyer intruded into China's territorial waters in the South China Sea on Tuesday

In the past, the execution of freedom of navigation exercises and international court judgments failed to discourage aggressive Chinese behavior in the South China Sea. It is time resource experts and environmentalists led a diplomatic effort to incentivize regional cooperation and collaboration between China and its neighbors. The United States and the international community should encourage a resource development and scientific solution to the territorial disputes between China and its neighbors.

A U.S. Navy destroyer sailed near islands claimed by China in the South China Sea on Tuesday, three U.S. officials told Reuters, even as President Donald Trump’s administration seeks Chinese cooperation in dealing with North Korea’s missile and nuclear programs.

What you need to know about the Code of Conduct for the South China Sea.

The US is spending naval resources it can ill-afford patrolling the Western Pacific. These patrols serve no useful purpose and only raise the risk of conflict with the Chinese Navy.

Garnering much less attention from the ASEAN summit was the single paragraph that “noted Timor-Leste’s application for ASEAN membership and looked forward to the continued discussion” about reports and capacity building regarding that small Southeast Asian island nation’s longstanding efforts to join the regional bloc. This newest of Asian nations – having regained independence from Indonesia in 2002 – deserves ASEAN, U.S. and Chinese investment and support for its efforts to further integrate and engage with the wider region.

Trump has proven tougher on the South China Sea than his predecessor. So long as China plays its cards right, though, it doesn’t really matter what he does.