The Type 055 large destroyer Xianyang (Hull 108) of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy holds a training mission for combat readiness in the South China Sea in February 2024. Photo: Screenshot from China Central Television

China and ASEAN countries have the ability and wisdom to reach a Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC) and safeguard peace and stability, freedoms of navigation and overflight, and the legitimate rights and interests of other countries in the region, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said at the 60th Munich Security Conference on Saturday. 

A Chinese maritime expert attending the conference noted that China has always advocated resolving South China Sea disputes through peaceful means. However, if extraterritorial countries continue to send wrong signals, leading to the Philippines taking risky actions and escalating tensions at sea, China will inevitably take necessary actions to defend its own rights.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, refuted the fallacy of China's so-called aggression in the South China Sea when answering questions following his keynote speech during the "China in the World" session.

He said that China is working with ASEAN countries to accelerate consultations on the COC and striving to reach an early agreement on regional rules which are effective, substantive, and in line with international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which will be more conducive to managing differences, stabilizing the South China Sea, and promoting cooperation.

Wu Shicun, chairman of the Huayang Research Center for Maritime Cooperation and Ocean Governance and founding president of the National Institute for South China Sea Studies, is also attending the 60th Munich Security Conference. He told the Global Times in an exclusive interview that "a most significant external factor currently threatening the stability of the South China Sea is the militarization encouraged or even led by the US. Besides, some claimant countries, with the Philippines being the most prominent one, have intensified their unilateral infringements and consolidated and expanded their vested interests during the window period before the completion of the COC."

A law enforcement boat released by China Coast Guard ship 3104 gives verbal warnings and dispel the Philippine personnel from the reefs of China's Huangyan Dao on January 12, 2024. (File photo)

Wu also introduced the obstacles faced by the COC negotiation.

Currently, the Philippines has revved up unilateral infringement of the South China Sea. From February 2 to 9, the Philippine Coast Guard Ship 9701 repeatedly trespassed on the waters adjacent to China's Huangyan Dao (also known as Huangyan Island) ignoring verbal warnings from the China Coast Guard (CCG), and the CCG took route control and repelling measures in accordance with the law, CCG spokesperson Gan Yu said in a statement issued on February 11, stressing that the CCG's on-site operations were professional and up to standard.

Then on Thursday,  Philippine Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Ship 3005 trespassed on the waters adjacent to China's Huangyan Dao, and the CCG again took similar measures after verbal warnings went ignored, Gan said in a statement on the day.

Talking about the possible risks that may occur in the South China Sea, Wu said that the US plays a very important role. For example, in the Ren'ai Jiao (also known as Ren'ai Reef), the US continuously sends out wrong signals, showing bias and even supporting the provocative actions of the Philippines. The continuous strengthening of these signals will lead to the Philippines taking risks and escalating tensions at sea. In response, China will take necessary measures to defend its rights and claims.

"Many representatives from Southeast Asian countries, the US and Europe to the Munich Security Conference meeting have military backgrounds. I hope to clarify the current risks and main factors that the South China Sea is facing by introducing the situation in the South China Sea at the conference," Wu said. 

He explained that if the US and its allies continue to send out the wrong message and do not adjust their policies, China will have to take necessary measures. The South China Sea issue is no longer just a dispute between China and relevant claimant countries over the sovereignty of certain islands and reefs, but also a major tool for the US to contain China's maritime power and undermine China's relations with ASEAN countries, especially with the claimant countries. 

"Therefore, we need to voice China's position on such an important occasion and reiterate China's claims," he reiterated.

Wu responded to the misunderstandings of Western societies regarding the South China Sea one by one. 

He first said that Western countries, including the US, often accuse China of bullying smaller countries in the South China Sea, and even resorting to the use of force. However, in reality, disputes over the South China Sea are primarily territorial disputes, especially regarding the ownership of islands and reefs. China has always advocated for the resolution of these disputes through peaceful means and emphasizes the importance of bilateral negotiations and the construction of rules-based mechanisms to maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea. 

Secondly, the US has long used "freedom of navigation" as a pretext, but in fact, freedom of navigation in the South China Sea has never been affected by territorial disputes over islands and reefs. As the biggest beneficiary of the security and freedom of navigation in the South China Sea, China reaffirms its position and claims every year to give confidence to the international community and emphasize the stability and security of the South China Sea. 

"China advocates for resolving the issue through peaceful negotiations, avoiding the use of force and the introduction of third-party mechanisms, so as not to further complicate the issue," Wu noted. He took the so-called South China Sea arbitration case initiated by the Philippines in 2013 as an example. The arbitration not only failed to resolve the disputes, but made the situation in the South China Sea more complicated, affecting China-Philippine relations. 

This fully proves that the attempt to resolve the South China Sea issue through third-party mechanisms is not feasible and will only add chaos, which is of no help to the resolution of the South China Sea issue, he stressed. 

Wu expressed his belief that the possibility of a military clash between China and the US in the South China Sea airspace is very low, but the intensity of the competition will increase. 

A main basis for this conclusion is the important consensus reached between the leaders of China and the US during their meeting in San Francisco in 2023 to restore military communication and exchanges. 

Wu said that the two sides are currently working to restore the dialogue mechanism between their militaries, and contacts at the working level have basically been restored. It is catastrophic for China, the US, and global stability if a military conflict occurs, even if it is just a minor incident. Therefore, the US is also making every effort to avoid a military conflict. 

"However, due to the South China Sea being an important shipping and strategic channel, the frontline military forces of both sides can directly come into contact, so there is still a certain level of risk. For example, when the US takes so-called freedom of navigation actions or conducts close-in reconnaissance, China has to take measures such as tracking, identification, warning, and expulsion. In this situation, if any party does not abide by the rules, a military clash may occur," Wu said. He noted that only through joint efforts, strengthened communication and coordination can we ensure stability and security in the region.