From November 12 to 13, 2023, the “2023 South China Sea Forum” was successfully held at Nanjing University. This year’s forum was hosted by the Collaborative Innovation Center of South China Sea Studies, Nanjing University, and co-organized by the Editorial Board of Asia-Pacific Security and Maritime Affairs and the Center for Southeast Asian Studies, Zhejiang University of Technology. There are five topics in this forum, and more than 80 representatives from government agencies, universities and research institutions attended it.
At the opening ceremony, Yang Zhong, Executive Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of Nanjing University and Director of the Management Committee of the Center, on behalf of Nanjing University, warmly welcomed the participants and indicated that the current study of maritime issues is of profound strategic significance. He expected that all the experts would pool their wisdom and speak freely at this forum, so as to contribute to the comprehensive implementation and advancement of China’s maritime power strategy put forward by General Secretary Xi Jinping. Wang Ying, academician of Chinese Academy of Sciences and Director of the Center, made an in-depth analysis of the historical evolution of China’s sovereignty and maritime rights and interests claim in the South China Sea, and looked forward to the experts attending the forum to speak out and make contributions to safeguarding the motherland’s sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea, as well as promoting the peaceful development of the Asia-Pacific region. The opening ceremony was hosted by Zhu Feng, Executive Director of the Center.
In the keynote speech session, Le Yucheng, Former Vice Minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Former Deputy Director of the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, shared his views on the theme of the world pattern under the great changes, specifically elaborated on the manifestations of the world’s entering into a period of turbulence, and pointed out in depth that the new features and challenges of the international situation that China is facing at the present time. Major General Wang Xin, Dean of the School of International Relations, National University of Defense Technology, took the history, development status and future direction of the struggle in the South China Sea as the theme, comprehensively sorted out the strategic changes of the South China Sea issue, and made an in-depth analysis of the strategic intention of the United States to comprehensively interfere in the South China Sea affairs. Yi Xianliang, Former Chinese Ambassador to the Kingdom of Norway and Former Director General of the Department of Boundary and Ocean Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China, took China’s Diplomacy and the South China Sea issue under the Great Changes as the theme, and analyzed in depth the challenges and impacts on the South China Sea issue of the new changes of the international situation in the five aspects concerning politics, economy, rules, security, science and technology. Wu Shicun, Chairman of Huayang Center for Maritime Cooperation and Ocean Governance and Chairman of Academic Committee of National Institute of South China Sea Studies, shared his views on the topic of “On the Current South China Sea Situation”, which comprehensively and meticulously elaborated on the many manifestations of the South China Sea situation entering into a period of turbulence, and profoundly pointed out that the situation in the South China Sea in 2023 has witnessed new changes and tendency. Yin Wenqiang, Minister Counselor of the Department of Boundary and Ocean Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China, comprehensively sorted out the latest developments of the claimant countries in the South China Sea and gave a comprehensive and profound policy interpretation. Gao Zhiguo, President of Chinese Society for the Law of the Sea and Former Judge of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, reviewed the policies of the United States and China in the South China Sea, and proposed to grasp and respond to the new changes of the situation in the South China Sea comprehensively and strategically from the aspects of strategy, law, diplomacy and academia.
Within a day and a half, the participants conducted in-depth and detailed analysis, research and exchanges on the topics of “New Situation, New Characteristics and New Problems in the Struggle for Rights and Stability in the South China Sea”, “Interference in the South China Sea by the United States and Small Multilateral Mechanisms: Challenges and Responses”, “New Situation and New Challenges in Legal Struggle for Sovereignty over the South China Sea Islands and Reefs and Maritime Interests”, “Historical Perspectives of Disputes on Sovereignty over the South China Sea and Maritime Rights and Interests”, and “Enhancement of Cooperation and Stability in the South China Sea: New Thoughts and New Approaches”.
In the concluding speech of the closing ceremony of the forum, Zhu Feng, Executive Director of the Center, expressed his heartfelt thanks to all the delegates for their presence and stressed that the participants had carried out meticulous, scientific and in-depth discussions on the prominent topics of the national maritime situation, diplomacy, security, and historical maritime rights and interests, which had resulted in the collision of thoughts and a series of innovative views and achievements. The current study and judgment of the South China Sea issue cannot be separated from the background of the China-US game, great power diplomacy and the maintenance of stability in the neighboring countries; China will continue to broaden the platform for dialogue and deepen cooperation, and will ultimately find a way to properly deal with the South China Sea issue that is acceptable to all parties. The “South China Sea Forum” will continue to play a pivotal role in providing in-depth academic exchanges on South China Sea issues and satisfying the national major strategic demands.
The South China Sea Forum, hosted by the Collaborative Innovation Center of South China Sea Studies, was founded in 2013, focusing on hot issues in the South China Sea, oriented by the national major strategic demands, and aiming at maximizing the rights and interests in the South China Sea. So far, the “South China Sea Forum” has been successfully held for 11 sessions, inviting more than 1,000 experts and scholars to participate in the discussion of South China Sea issues, providing a high-level academic exchange platform for China’s maritime issues, and generating a wide range of influence at home and abroad. (Text/Chen Tianping, Translate/Bao Yiwen)