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International policymakers and security experts at the 17th South China Sea Conference in Vietnam's Da Nang pressed ASEAN to reduce its growing dependence on China and to internationalise the South China Sea issue to safeguard regional peace and freedom of navigation.
Participants urged collective global engagement to counter China's increasingly assertive maritime actions, as reported by The Taipei Times. According to The Taipei Times, the two-day event, organised by the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam, drew defence officials, diplomats, and scholars from over 40 nations. The forum served as a platform to discuss China's escalating aggression and the urgent need for ASEAN to assert greater autonomy in dealing with maritime disputes. Philippine Coast Guard Commodore Jay Tarriela shared how Manila and Taipei peacefully resolved tensions following a 2013 incident in which a Taiwanese fisherman was fatally shot by the Philippine Coast Guard. The two sides later signed a fisheries cooperation pact in 2015. His remarks highlighted the potential for constructive diplomacy and legal cooperation in resolving conflicts, a stark contrast to China's coercive approach in regional waters. German Ambassador to Vietnam Helga Margarete Barth quoted her country's foreign minister, saying that China's belligerent behaviour in the Taiwan Strait and South China Sea threatens global stability. Meanwhile, EU Ambassador Julien Guerrier emphasised that the "rules of engagement" in the South China Sea must not be defined solely by China or ASEAN. He urged greater involvement from global partners through platforms such as the ASEAN Regional Forum, as cited by The Taipei Times. Scholars from Taiwan also highlighted the island's potential to contribute meaningfully to maritime innovation and sustainability. National Taiwan University's Jin Shi-yi pointed to Taiwan's strengths in artificial intelligence and semiconductors, while National Cheng Kung University's Kuo Cheng-yuan highlighted the nation's advances in marine biodiversity and renewable energy technologies. The conference highlighted a clear consensus: to safeguard the South China Sea's stability and uphold international law, ASEAN and its partners must act collectively and resist China's attempts to dominate the region's future, as reported by The Taipei Times. (ANI)
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