May 2000: Agreement reached between China and the Philippines to create a regional code of conduct in the South China Sea December 2000: Agreements signed between China and Vietnam to resolve disputes in the Gulf of TonkinNovember 2002: China and ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) adopted the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea; region hoping for long-term stability May 2003: Vietnam issued a declaration of “sovereignty” over China's fishing ban in the South China Sea July 2011: Preliminary guidelines to resolve the issue posed by China, Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam and the Philippines October 2011: China and Vietnam agreed to seek a peaceful resolution of the dispute through direct communication between the two countries November 2011: The United States and ASEAN countries aligned to effectively pressure China over their claims of holding "indisputable sovereignty" in the South China SeaApril 2012: standoff between Chinese and Philippine ships; beginning of escalation of tensions December 2013: China claimed that others had ulterior motives in their protests against its regulation in the disputed region; The United States has expressed its determination to protect its allies in the East