China Wants to Form a Maritime Community for the South China Sea

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION/UNSPLASH/Cinn

JAKARTA - China proposes a maritime community with a shared future to promote maritime peace and stability in the South China Sea.

The proposal is contained in a white paper entitled "A Global Community of Shared Future: China's Proposals and Actions" which was released Tuesday, September 26.

As reported by ANTARA, in the document, China acknowledged that it was facing increasingly complex maritime problems, so it proposed the formation of a maritime community based on the principles of mutual respect, equality, cooperation and mutual benefit.

"China believes that this concept can help promote peace and stability in the maritime sector, as well as create a more prosperous and sustainable future for all countries," said the document, which was released by CGTN.

China also stated that it is always committed to resolving territorial sovereignty as well as maritime rights and interest disputes in the South China Sea through dialogue and consultation

Beijing also stated that it had fully and effectively implemented the Declaration on the Conduct of the Parties in the South China Sea with ASEAN countries, and continued negotiations on guidelines for conduct in these waters.

The Declaration of Conduct of the Parties (DoC), agreed in 2002, is a non-binding agreement outlining the principles of peaceful resolution of the South China Sea disputes.

The DoC calls on the parties to refrain from activities that threaten or deploy troops, resolve disputes peacefully through dialogue and consultation, and respect freedom of navigation and overflight.

China has also proposed building a joint blue economy partnership and strengthening maritime connectivity.

"China adheres to the steps of achieving common development, puts aside disputes, and actively explores joint resource development with maritime neighboring countries," the document said.

The South China Sea is still a hot spot for problems in the region. China claims almost all of the waters in the South China Sea, while  Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia, Vietnam and the Philippines also claim sovereignty in the region.

The dispute between China and ASEAN countries in these waters has dragged in the United States as the Philippines seeks to strengthen ties with Washington and even give the US access to their military bases.

The Philippines is also hosting the largest joint military exercises between the two countries, which Beijing considers provocative.

The South China Sea is an important waterway that is a route for international trade worth three trillion US dollars (IDR 45,000 trillion) every year.

The route is believed to be rich in mineral, oil and gas energy potential.