Wu Shicun, chairman of the Huayang Center, attends the Global Times Annual Conference 2026, themed "Trust in China: New Journey, New Opportunities," on December 20, 2025, in Beijing. Photo: Chen Tao/GT

On Saturday, the Global Times Annual Conference 2026, themed "Trust in China: New Journey, New Opportunities," was held in Beijing. During a discussion on the topic "Symbiotic States: A New Exploration of How Major Powers Relate to Their Neighbors," Wu Shicun, chairman of the Huayang Center, said the South China Sea is a critically important region, and proposed three areas for maintaining regional stability.

First is the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC). Wu noted that although some countries have in practice violated the declaration, the five major cooperation areas under the DOC framework remain highly relevant. He argued that China and The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) should continue to cooperate in these five low-sensitivity, easy-to-start fields - marine environmental protection, marine scientific research, maritime navigation and traffic safety, maritime search and rescue, and combating maritime crime.

Second is the ongoing consultations on the Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea. Wu said that after completing the third reading, negotiations over the COC have entered the deep waters of the most sensitive and complex issues. While it will be difficult for China and the 11 ASEAN countries to reach agreement on every issue, China, as the largest littoral state of the South China Sea, should play an active role, Wu noted. 

Third, Wu suggested discussing and signing a South China Sea environmental protection convention. He cited examples: Mediterranean coastal states signed the Convention for the Protection of the Mediterranean Sea against Pollution in 1976 in Barcelona, and despite territorial and maritime delimitation disputes, they have been protecting the Mediterranean environment since the 1970s; likewise, nine North Sea coastal states launched the Greater North Sea Basin Initiative in November 2023 to reach consensus on North Sea environmental protection. Wu said that depletion of fishery resources in the South China Sea may be more severe than in other seas, so regardless of how COC talks proceed, a South China Sea environmental convention must be placed on the agenda. This will also be an implementation of the Global Governance Initiative in the maritime domain, Wu said.

Global Times