Dalian, a coastal city in Liaoning Province on the Chinese mainland, hosted around 80 experts and scholars this Friday for a deep dive into the complex legal and political currents shaping the South China Sea.
The academic exchange conference, themed "Refuting and responding to the Arbitral Award on the South China Sea: A Chinese perspective," was convened by Dalian Maritime University. Attendees explored topics from the legal refutation of the Arbitral Award to national ocean governance and development.
Shan Hongjun, president of Dalian Maritime University, emphasized that the South China Sea issue touches on national sovereignty and maritime rights. He urged universities and think tanks to harness their research strengths to safeguard territorial claims and amplify China's voice internationally.
Wu Shicun, director of the academic committee and senior research fellow at China's National Institute for South China Sea Studies, criticized the Arbitral Award for its "serious legal flaws and political manipulation." He warned that some external countries use the ruling to label China a "troublemaker" and cast blame for regional instability.
Experts reaffirmed that China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights are grounded in solid historical and legal evidence. They argued that the ruling ignored basic facts of the South China Sea and violated international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
Looking ahead, participants called for the swift adoption of a Code of Conduct in the South China Sea to establish strong institutional safeguards and maintain regional peace and stability.
At the close of the conference, Dalian Maritime University also released China's Maritime Law Development Report (2025), offering new data and policy recommendations for the next phase of ocean governance.
Reference(s):
Experts discuss governance of South China Sea at Dalian conference
cgtn.com
