Order in the South China Sea Based on Common Security and International Law | The Manila Times

SANYA, China, Dec. 4, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- On the 5th Symposium on Global Maritime Cooperation and Ocean Governance, which was held by Huayang Center for Maritime Cooperation and Ocean Governance, National Institute for South China Sea Studies, China Oceanic Development Foundation and Hainan Free Trade Port Research Institute, speakers expressed their views on Order in the South China Sea. Dang Dinh Quy, Former vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam, believes that the South China Sea is currently facing traditional challenges such as excessive maritime claims and militarization, as well as non-traditional challenges such as piracy, illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, and environmental pollution. Countries surrounding the South China Sea need to reach a consensus on ensuring maritime security. The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) should serve as the legal foundation for addressing maritime security challenges. Siswanto Rusdi, Founder and Director of National Maritime Institute, Indonesia, pointed out that China is Indonesia's largest trading partner, and therefore, the two countries must adhere to cooperation, Indonesia may consider establishing a traditional maritime police force by drawing on the experiences of neighboring countries in the future.

Zheng Zhihua, Associate Professor of Japan Research Center of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, pointed out that most countries in the South Pacific have completed maritime boundary delimitation based on regional commonalities, with numerous practices involving claims of exclusive economic zones (EEZs) and continental shelves based on coral reefs. The United States, France, and the United Kingdom also have similar practices in the South Pacific. These practices related to maritime rights claims can serve as a reference for the South China Sea region.

Zou Keyuan, Professor of Law School of Dalian Maritime University, China pointed out that there are various ways to resolve disputes, and legal means are only one of the available options. The diverse cultural differences in East Asia have resulted in the absence of a regional legal dispute resolution mechanism in the Asia-Pacific region to date. Therefore, it is not advisable to overly emphasize legal methods to resolve the South China Sea dispute.

Natalie Klein, Professor of Faculty of Law, University of New South Wales, Australia, outlined specific rules related to the freedom of navigation, including those concerning territorial seas and the high seas, and attempted to explain the meaning and scope of freedom of navigation.