The Huayang Center for Marine Studies in China confirmed in its "Global Maritime Security 2025-2026" report that the South China Sea has maintained a general level of stability, despite the tensions and challenges witnessed in the region. The report stressed the importance of dialogue, consultations, and enhancing practical cooperation in managing maritime disputes and safeguarding regional peace and stability.
China-ASEAN Consultations Enhance Stability
Wu Shi Tsun, head of the Huayang Center, stated that the sea has remained generally stable and manageable, despite existing tensions. He pointed out that the continuation of dialogue and consultations between China and ASEAN countries constitutes an important factor in containing disputes and avoiding escalation. The report noted that one of the most prominent challenges facing maritime security in the region is the interference of external powers, along with unilateral measures taken by some parties, which complicates the situation and affects efforts to maintain stability.
Regional Challenges and Competition for Maritime Influence
The report highlighted that competition in the maritime field is no longer limited to military movements, but also includes legal and administrative measures, coast guard activities, and maritime patrols, as well as the enhancement of maritime capabilities by the parties involved. It stressed the importance of adopting dialogue as a means to manage disputes and enhancing cooperation among regional countries to prevent the escalation of tensions and maintain security and stability in sea lanes.
Beijing Stands by Its Claims and Calls for Dispute Management
For his part, Yang Li, executive director of the Chinese European Studies Institute, said that China is working to strengthen its claims in the South China Sea by establishing baseline lines and creating nature reserves, and rejects the so-called arbitration award regarding the maritime dispute. Yang believed that China's policy in this field combines defending sovereignty with maintaining stable relations with neighboring countries, alongside continued economic and commercial ties between regional countries.
Maritime Cooperation at the Core of International Discussion
The report also addressed maritime security challenges in the Indian Ocean, alongside developments in the South China Sea. It was released during the 7th Global Maritime Cooperation and Ocean Governance Symposium, held in Sanya city in China's Hainan province, with the participation of approximately 400 representatives from more than 30 countries and regions. The report comes within the framework of continuous international discussions regarding the security of sea lanes and ways to enhance cooperation and manage disputes, amid growing challenges facing maritime security at both the regional and international levels.
The South China Sea region is one of the most important and sensitive geopolitical tension hotspots in the world, centered around intertwined regional and international conflicts between China, the Philippines, Japan, and other parties. Beijing insists on its sovereignty over the entire South China Sea based on the historical "nine-dash line," which neighboring countries consider an infringement on their territorial waters and exclusive economic zones. The region is witnessing growing convergence and cooperation between the Philippines, Japan, and the United States, with Tokyo and Manila launching plans for maritime boundary demarcation and joint exercises, which China has warned against, considering them contrary to international law and detrimental to its interests.
Legal and Administrative Challenges
Xinhua Agency reported on Sunday that the report, prepared with the participation of nine experts from China, the United States, Belgium, Australia, Malaysia, and other countries, indicated that continuing consultations between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) regarding a code of conduct in the South China Sea, along with expanding areas of practical cooperation, would contribute to containing disputes and enhancing stability in the region.
Source: Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA)
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