Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi addresses the Symposium on Global Maritime Cooperation and Ocean Governance 2021 via video link on November 9. Photo: Courtesy of the National Institute for South China Sea Studies

Oceans should not be used as a tool for seeking unilateral global power, and we are opposed to countries flexing muscles at sea, forming cliques and infringing upon legitimate rights of other countries to maintain maritime hegemony, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Tuesday. 

Addressing the Symposium on Global Maritime Cooperation and Ocean Governance 2021 via video link on Tuesday, Wang said we should uphold multilateralism to jointly safeguard marine order. Ocean and continents are not a zero-sum game for competition. 

He said the destiny and future of countries are linked as they face the same complicated economic situations and security challenges, and mankind should not be divided into different islands or camps by ocean, instead, we should unite more through the ocean to build a maritime community with a shared future. 

Wang called on countries to uphold the banner of multilateralism, safeguard the international system with the UN at its core and safeguard the maritime order based on international laws.  

On South China Sea, Wang said that China and ASEAN countries have been actively committing to full and effective implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) and pushing for new progresses in the consultation of Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC). 

Next year marks the 20th anniversary of the signing of the DOC by China and ASEAN, and the two sides should take this opportunity to reach an early conclusion on COC and build the South China Sea into a sea of peace, friendship and cooperation, Wang said. 

The recent problems in global supply chain are caused not only by the COVID-19 pandemic but also by the unilateralism and protectionism. We should jointly promote maritime connectivity and free trade to maintain the stability in maritime transport and industrial chains and build an open global economy, Wang said. 

Global Times