The 2025 Symposium on International Maritime Dispute Settlement and International Law is held in Beijing on December 1, 2025. Photo: Huayang Center for Maritime Cooperation and Ocean Governance

"China is not only an advocate but also a practitioner of sustainable marine development," Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Hua Chunying said at a forum in Beijing on Monday.

Hua made the speech at the opening ceremony of the 2025 Symposium on International Maritime Dispute Settlement and International Law. The symposium, jointly organized by the Huayang Center for Maritime Cooperation and Ocean Governance and the China Ocean Development Foundation, convened over 200 participants from more than 40 countries. 

Hua noted that this year marks the 80th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations, and China has put forward the Global Governance Initiative, providing Chinese wisdom and solutions for improving global ocean governance.

Discussions at the symposium highlighted the enduring complexity of maritime disputes. Tomas Heidar, president of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, addressed the risk of "judicial fragmentation." He explained that while the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) provides multiple dispute-resolution mechanisms, different mechanisms acting independently on the same issue could lead to inconsistent rulings. He urged for greater communication and coordination between different mechanisms to ensure a unified interpretation and application of the Convention.

Wu Shicun, chairman of the Huayang Center, underscored the "deeply complex, sensitive and protracted nature" of maritime issues. Taking the South China Sea as an example, he pointed to the unprecedented number of claimant countries, disputed features and scale of overlapping claims. "A complete resolution may require the efforts of generations," Wu noted.

In her speech, Hua reiterated China's position that maritime disputes should be peacefully resolved through negotiation and consultation between states directly concerned. "China opposes the distortion of the interpretation and application of the UNCLOS, the abuse of the dispute settlement procedures under the Convention and provoking frivolous lawsuits in violation of the principle of state consent," Hua said. 

Ma Xinmin, a member of the International Law Commission, outlined China's contributions to the recent BBNJ (Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction) Agreement negotiations, stating that China worked to safeguard national interests while fostering a fair, equitable maritime order for the benefit of all humanity.

Leticia Reis de Carvalho, secretary-general of the International Seabed Authority, commended China's longstanding commitment to UNCLOS. 

"China's voice in support of legal certainty, multilateral governance and adherence to internationally agreed rules contributes meaningfully to safeguarding the stability of the global ocean order," Carvalho noted, stressing the universal need for coherence and shared responsibility in ocean governance.