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An international symposium on the history and reality of the South China Sea was held in Beijing on Thursday, promoting China's narrative of sovereignty and peace in a region rife with growing tensions, as reported by Xinhua News Agency.
Xinhua reported that the symposium gathered over 150 experts and scholars from more than 10 countries, including China, the Philippines, Indonesia, the United Kingdom, and Canada, under the auspices of the National Institute for South China Sea Studies and the Huayang Center for Maritime Cooperation and Ocean Governance. The event centred around contentious topics such as the post-World War II international order, sovereignty claims over the South China Sea islands (referred to by China as Nanhai Zhudao), and the controversial 2016 South China Sea arbitration ruling. Wu Shicun, chairman of the Huayang Center, asserted that China's claims to sovereignty over Nanhai Zhudao have "ample historical and legal basis" and insisted that China's control over the area dates back to ancient times, fitting within the post-WWII international framework. Wu dismissed the 2016 arbitration ruling as "illegal" and portrayed China's actions as defenders rather than disruptors of the international order. He urged China and ASEAN to push forward consultations on the Code of Conduct (COC) for the South China Sea to "safeguard peace and stability," as per Xinhua. However, critics argue that Beijing's expansive claims and aggressive militarisation have destabilised the region, undermining genuine peace efforts. The 2016 arbitration tribunal, which China refused to acknowledge, rejected many of China's sweeping claims and sided with the Philippines, highlighting China's violation of international maritime laws. Rommel Banlaoi, president of the Philippine Society for International Security Studies, warned that the arbitration award complicated relations between Manila and Beijing and stressed the need for dialogue and confidence-building, rather than China's coercive tactics. Banlaoi emphasised the historical ties linking Filipinos and Chinese through the sea but cautioned that Beijing's recent actions risk turning the South China Sea into a flashpoint for conflict. The symposium also revisited the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties (DOC) and ongoing negotiations for the COC, documents aimed at dispute management but often criticised for lacking enforcement mechanisms amid China's assertiveness, as noted by Xinhua. (ANI)
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