Maritime strategy for big blue horizons

Active participant in the polar affairs 

The rapid development of science and technology, and the expansion of human activities in space have already extended exploration, research and exploitation from land and coastal areas to the high seas and oceans, the polar regions, outer space and cyberspace. Outer space and cyberspace are called the new global territories, and the polar regions and high seas the new sea territories.

The new sea territories have become a new area where various countries are trying to expand their strategic resources and pursue superiority, turning them into a new power game arena of international relations. According to extant international laws, most of these new territories are assets of humankind, and thus countries can conduct competitive but not exclusive activities there. The question is: How to take account of the interests of all the stakeholders while safeguarding the common interests of humankind?

Some countries' maritime activities, such as marine research, tourism, transportation, fishing, exploration and development of deep-sea minerals and carbon sequestration, pose potential environmental risks. So the relevant international agencies and industrial associations should consider issuing permits for conducting such activities by, for example, formulating relevant conventions and accords. China, as an active participant in these activities, has already made major contributions to the existing conventions and accords.

In January, China published a white paper on its Arctic policy, saying the country is one of the important stakeholders in the Arctic. The goal of its policy is to protect and utilize the resources in the Arctic, participate in the region's governance, and safeguard the common interests of all states and the international community, as well as promote sustainable development in the region.

As far as Antarctica is concerned, China inked the Antarctic Treaty in 1983 and was unanimously acknowledged as a consultative party at the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting in 1985. Antarctica is an area of frozen sovereignty, and of the 29 consultative states, only China, India, Ecuador and Poland have not formulated their Antarctic legislation. Once China formulates such legislation, it can better protect its interests in the Antarctic and take an important step toward boosting its status as an important consultative party to the Antarctic Treaty.