Beijing, May 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — On May 15, 2025, the seminar Let the World Hear the Clear Voice of the South China Sea was held in Beijing. The event brought together over 50 experts from institutions including inter alia the China International Communications Group (CICG), the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, and the National Institute for South China Sea Studies (NISCSS). International scholars including David Gosset, the Founder of the China-Europe-America Global Initiative, and Anthony Carty, British expert on international, delivered speeches via video.
Yu Yunquan, Vice President of CICG; Wu Shicun, Chairman of the Academic Committee of NISCSS; Gao Zhiguo, former judge of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea; and Wang Huiyao, Chairman of the Center for China and Globalization (CCG), underscored the importance of amplifying China’s stance on the South China Sea. Speaekers called for enhanced international communication, stronger consensus between China andASEAN , and greater engagement from think tanks, media, and youth. The urgency of accelerating the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC) was stressed to transform the region into a sea of peace, friendship, and cooperation.
David Gosset highlighted the shared commitment of China and ASEAN to regional peace through the COC consultations and the full implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea. He urged for broader international recognition of China’s diplomatic efforts in this regard. Anthony Carty, drawing on years of research, asserted that the South China Sea islands are an inherent part of China’s territory and that China’s maritime claims align with those of other Asia-Pacific nations.
ASEAN experts attending the Boao Forum for Asia 2025 were interviewed by China Center for International Communication Development as part of the preparation for the seminar. Lucio Pitlo, Research Fellow of the Asia Pacific Pathways to Progress Foundation, and Hugo Santos, Analyst of the Asian Century Philippines Strategic Studies Institute, expressed eagerness for the COC’s adoption and optimism about China-ASEAN maritime cooperation. Dino Patti Djalal, Founder and Chairman of the Foreign Policy Community of Indonesia, Salawati Mat Basir, Professor at the National University of Malaysia, and Chen Jiaying, researcher at Nanyang Technological University, acknowledged the progress in COC consultations and called for deeper mutual trust and multi-sectoral cooperation between China and ASEAN.
