A two-day South China Sea sub-forum at the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2026 ended Friday with calls for greater restraint, dialogue and cooperation to safeguard regional peace.
The forum, themed "The South China Sea Order and Governance Cooperation in a Changing World", was co-organized by the National Institute for South China Sea Studies, the Huayang Center for Maritime Cooperation and Ocean Governance, the China Oceanic Development Foundation, the Chinese Global Program Center of China Media Group, and the Boao Forum for Asia Secretariat. It drew about 200 participants from roughly 20 countries, including the US, the UK, Australia, Vietnam, the Philippines and Malaysia. Attendees included scholars, officials, diplomats and industry representatives.
Discussions centered on four main topics: cooperation mechanisms, marine environmental protection as a bridge for China-ASEAN ocean governance, rules and order in the South China Sea, and marine economy development linked to the Hainan Free Trade Port.
Keynote speakers highlighted rising risks from major power rivalry, unilateral actions and the lingering impact of the 2016 South China Sea arbitration case.
Liu Zhenmin, special envoy for Climate Change of China and former under-secretary-general of the United Nations, said East Asian nations should draw lessons from the Middle East turmoil to safeguard peaceful coexistence. He called for regional arrangements that ensure long-term stability and protect maritime routes in the South China Sea. He also said China and ASEAN countries need to speed up negotiations on a South China Sea code of conduct to build trust and boost maritime cooperation. In addition, Liu said East Asia should accelerate its energy transition and build a new energy mechanism to support regional energy security.
Nguyen Hung Son, president of the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam, said peace in the South China Sea cannot be taken for granted and must be built through mutual trust, self-restraint and respect for the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.
David Harland, executive director of the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, called for low-sensitivity cooperation and stronger regional legal frameworks.
Wu Shicun, chairman of the Huayang Center for Maritime Cooperation and Ocean Governance and chairman of the Academic Committee of the National Institute for South China Sea Studies, proposed four steps: stabilize the situation, manage risks, promote dialogue, and govern cooperatively. He warned against unilateral oil and gas exploration or occupation of uninhabited features, and urged China and the US to adopt conflict-avoidance rules.
Since its launch in 2014, the South China Sea sub-forum has become an annual fixture on the Boao agenda. It aims to build trust and foster maritime cooperation among regional stakeholders.
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