Insights | Peace and stability are shared aspirations of countries bordering South China Sea: expert

(By Feng Xiaoyan)

(ECNS) -- The "Legal Assessment of the United States' ‘Freedom of Navigation'" report, initiated by the China Institute for Marine Affairs under the Ministry of Natural Resources of China, offers legal grounds and safeguards for China's efforts to defend its rights in the South China Sea, Zheng Zhihua, associate professor at the Japan Research Center of Shanghai Jiao Tong University and head of the East Asian Marine Policy Project, said in a recent interview with China News Network.

Zheng pointed out that the report systematically reviews whether the United States' "freedom of navigation" operations have a legal basis, while also clarifying the legal principles China upholds in handling related issues. He believes that by doing so, China's subsequent actions to safeguard its rights in the South China Sea will be supported by more solid legal justification.

Zheng observed that most ASEAN nations seek to uphold the principle of ASEAN centrality and maintain a neutral stance in response to U.S. interference in the South China Sea issue under the pretext of "freedom of navigation" operations, opposing the militarization of the issue. Seeking peace and pursuing stability are the shared aspirations of the vast majority of countries in the region, he said, adding that most countries do not want to see external powers disturbing the situation in the South China Sea or undermining the overall environment for development. Therefore, exposing the U.S. military activities and its destabilizing behavior in the South China Sea can help better safeguard peace and stability in the region.

Zheng noted that the Trump administration's policy on the South China Sea underwent significant changes during Trump's first term. For example, the "U.S. Position on Maritime Claims in the South China Sea" issued by the U.S. administration in 2020 openly challenged China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights in the area.

Although Trump's attention to the South China Sea appeared to wane during his second term -- especially compared with issues such as the trade war, the Ukraine crisis, and Middle East affairs -- Zheng assessed that the possibility that the Trump administration may once again strengthen its "freedom of navigation" operations in the future could not be ruled out. He said that developments related to the South China Sea will remain worth close and continuous observation.