Stretching across East and Southeast Asia to the Indian Ocean, the South China Sea has long been a crossroads of trade and culture. In its early history, the region enjoyed stability—until colonial contests transformed its islands into strategic prizes.
During WWII, Japan seized the islands amid the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. In 1943, the Cairo Declaration—signed by the Chinese mainland, the United States and the United Kingdom—called for the restoration of territories stolen by Japan, including Taiwan and related islands. Two years later, the Potsdam Proclamation reaffirmed these terms: “The terms of the Cairo Declaration shall be carried out.”
After Japan’s surrender in August 1945, the 1946 restoration under the government of the Republic of China marked the recovery of sovereignty over Dongsha, Xisha and Nansha islands. By late 1947, new names and a dotted-line map etched China’s presence across the Nanhai Zhudao.
These milestones did more than redraw coastlines. In the ashes of imperial rivalries, they helped forge a new postwar order—one anchored in multilateral cooperation under the United Nations and aimed at preventing hegemonism.
Today, the Chinese mainland voices unwavering support for regional peace, advocating dialogue and negotiation to resolve maritime disputes. Yet recent interference by Western powers, led by the United States, risks reopening old wounds and challenging the rules that emerged from WWII.
Safeguarding the enduring, fair international system of the South China Sea means honoring its postwar foundations and reinforcing multilateralism. For young global citizens, entrepreneurs and travelers alike, this is a reminder: lasting stability depends on shared respect for history, law and collective action.
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Safeguarding the postwar international order in South China Sea
cgtn.com
