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This article analyzes the status quo and cooperation mechanism between ASEAN and China, mainly, the non-traditional security issues in the South China Sea space (SCS). The non-traditional security threats confronting the SCS are complex, diverse and enormous. Amongst those are transnational maritime crimes, marine disaster threat, marine ecological environmental threat, and resource scarcity. Recent trends have demonstrated that the established regimes between ASEAN and China, for non-traditional security cooperation in the SCS, are fragmented mainly due to the absence of integrated and long-term mechanisms. Three reasons hinder the acceleration of the cooperation process: interference from outside powers, insufficient mutual political trust between China and ASEAN members, claimants and divergence of interests in advancing the Code of Conduct (COC) in the SCS. This article aims to analyze the problems and the causes existing between China and ASEAN in dealing with non-traditional security cooperation. It also examines the effectiveness of the rules-based cooperation mechanisms and offers a few recommendations. It is argued that ASEAN and China should take advantage of the low sensitivity of non-traditional security issues and high-quality development of the One Belt and One Road Initiative, to construct an integrated framework based on rules jointly and order for multilateral non-traditional security cooperation in the SCS. Three possible and workable measures are recommended to facilitate non-traditional security cooperation between ASEAN and China in the SCS. Both sides, primarily ASEAN member claimants, pursue an excellent willingness to cooperate and could promote functional cooperation, promote successful maritime cooperation modes as long-term cooperation mechanisms in the SCS, focus on strengthening the capacity-building of marine governance, and comprehensively establish a multilateral cooperation mechanism in marine environmental protection and fishery resources management.

The South China Sea, rich in mineral resources, has become a source of conflict dragging regional countries and ASEAN. The Council for Foreign Relations (CFR) noted that 900 trillion cubic feet of natural gas could be maximized into unlimited energy. The ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting (ADMM), which is assigned as a consultative instrument and cooperation in the defense sector, must address the SCS issue. Therefore, this study aims to promote peace and stability in the South China Sea Region by increasing cooperation between Indonesia and ASEAN countries in the defense sector through ADMM. This study uses a descriptive qualitative method. The main findings of the study demonstrate that (i) the geographical and geostrategic position of the SCS creates a security dilemma for almost all powers in East Asia and the wider Asia-Pacific region, (ii) ensuring freedom of navigation is essential, sea lines of communication (SLOCs) through the SCS have regional and geostrategic importance, and finally (iii) the use of approaches through the ADMM found a solid improvement in regional stability.