Illustration: Liu Rui/GT

Senior officials from China and ASEAN will reportedly focus on agreeing to a Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea in Suzhou, China's Jiangsu Province next month.

Judging by official statements, China has always been stressing a gradual process to reach a COC.

But the upcoming negotiations can be considered as a more active approach taken by the Chinese side in the goal to reach an agreement.

In recent years, the negotiations on a COC in the South China Sea have become a negative factor for China's image in the international stage. Due to propulsion from both outside and within, ASEAN has become more united in taking the initiative in negotiating on a COC.

Extended regional countries such as the US and Japan have taken the chance to gain a discourse advantage in the South China Sea issue, hyping up an atmosphere that China is unwilling to negotiate.

The Chinese media's discussion about the negotiations on a COC has been limited. Those who discuss them are portrayed as compromising the sovereignty of the South China Sea. And worse, little has been said about how such negotiations can be started and how China should handle the process.

The negotiations of a COC in the South China Sea definitely need discreet planning. But as long as this is a matter that China cannot avoid, it should adopt a more active attitude.

To take an initiative rather than waiting passively has always been a thorny issue for China's diplomacy. This is quite normal. The process of China entering the world stage is a move from a passive to an active position.

As for the South China Sea issue, China should not be led by other parties. If it can set up a negotiation agenda, this will help China to clarify its intentions in the South China Sea.

A COC in the South China Sea is not intended to establish demarcation lines in disputed waters, but to build a common rule of act among China, ASEAN and some other claimants of the South China Sea.

If China wants to play a vital role in the future political structure of the region, it needs to gain a firm foothold by establishing certain rules.

To solve the South China Sea disputes, China must adhere to bilateral talks and avoid the disputes going multilateral or international. At the same time, it should treat ASEAN as a whole when building a regional peace framework.

Cooperation and coordination among different countries in the Asia-Pacific region have been gaining momentum in recent years. Collaboration among member states within ASEAN has also been on the rise. Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd floated the idea of an "Asia-Pacific Community" when describing the future of the region.

In such a community, China should do a better job in maintaining its own interests. If it wants to establish itself as a big power, it has to handle well its relations with those smaller countries.

Currently, the economic and trade relations between China and ASEAN are smooth, which allows for the extension of the relationship to other fields. The biggest support that China can show for the unity of ASEAN is to keep a close relationship and communicate deeply with it.

The strengthened mutual trust between China and ASEAN will squeeze the opportunities that some countries intend to use to hype the South China Sea issue and control the future security pattern in Asia.

If China and ASEAN could set up a pragmatic security mechanism, foreign troops will have few reasons to stay in the region.

Negotiations on a COC in the South China Sea are indeed thorny, but avoiding them is not a solution.

The process of solving the issue is one in which neighboring countries build trust with China.

The Chinese media and scholars should take an active part in discussing the buildup of a peace mechanism in the South China Sea and communicate with ASEAN and other claimant countries.

The stability of Asia's future security pattern depends on how well China can structure it.

The author is a senior editor with People's Daily. He is now stationed in Brazil. dinggang@globaltimes.com.cn