SANYA, Nov. 7 (Xinhua) -- A report released here on Saturday highlighted China's efforts to help sustain peace and stability in the South China Sea.
The report, titled "Global Maritime Security Report 2025‑2026," brings together contributions from nine maritime experts with think tanks in countries including China, the United States, Belgium, Australia, and Malaysia.
Taking the South China Sea as its starting point, it explores how developments in the region affect global maritime security and shape ocean governance.
China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have pressed ahead with consultations on the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea, Wu Shicun, Chairman of the Huayang Center for Maritime Cooperation and Ocean Governance (Huayang Center), wrote in the preface, highlighting China's actions to promote practical cooperation in the region.
Wu said these efforts had injected constructive momentum for managing maritime differences and helped sustain peace and stability in the South China Sea.
Compiled by the Huayang Center, the report was released at the seventh Symposium on Global Maritime Cooperation and Ocean Governance held in Sanya, south China's Hainan Province. It is the first report of its kind to be launched since the symposium was established in 2020.
The South China Sea has remained generally stable and manageable, with regional dialogues and cooperation continuing to advance, even as maritime conflicts and disturbances persisted and maritime security risks continued to mount, according to Wu.
Yang Li, Executive Director of the Institute for China-Europe Studies, noted that China reinforces its claims through legal and administrative measures including the establishment of baselines and nature reserves, while maintaining its position of rejecting the so-called South China Sea Arbitral Award.
In his view, China's policy for the South China Sea is aimed at defending national sovereignty while keeping the neighborhood stable and conducive to regional economic integration.
Wu noted in the report that maritime security in the South China Sea faces multiple challenges, including the growing involvement of extra‑regional powers, increasing unilateral actions by some claimants, and the continuing repercussions of the so-called South China Sea Arbitral Award.
Beyond the South China Sea, the report also examines the increasingly complex maritime security challenges facing the Indian Ocean.
Wu pointed out that contemporary maritime security competition extends well beyond traditional naval confrontation. It now involves a wider range of instruments, including coast guard law enforcement, baselines and nature reserves, joint patrols and capacity building.
These measures are being used by countries concerned to safeguard their maritime rights and interests and shape the regional order, he added.
Wu urged related countries to manage maritime differences and incidents effectively, keep dialogue open, and pursue practical cooperation despite their disagreements.
The symposium, which opened Friday and runs through Sunday, attracted around 400 representatives from more than 30 countries and regions. It has been jointly organized by institutions including the National Institute for South China Sea Studies and the Huayang Center. ■
