South China Sea ensures smooth trade channels

A prosperous, open and secure South China Sea has been providing strong support for the stability of global industry and supply chains, according to a report released in Beijing on Friday.

Compiled by a think tank team at Dalian Maritime University in Liaoning province, the Report on Shipping Safety and Development in the South China Sea (2025) utilized Automatic Identification System data from 2021 to 2024 and other monitoring sources to map port traffic, sailing patterns and cargo flows.

According to a news release from the university, the study highlighted the actual operating status of the region's shipping system, its importance in global trade and energy security, and the strategic significance of the South China Sea for regional cooperation.

The report found that navigational safety is well protected in the South China Sea, which functions as a "super suture" connecting major economies through a dense, globally networked web of routes. It has linked 29 major ports and 14 sea lanes in a complex traffic environment, with routes connecting all key trading regions. The report also noted that transshipment volumes for containers and oil and gas rank among the highest in the world.

Ship density in ports in the South China Sea is over seven times that of the Caribbean, three times the Baltic, and one-and-a-half times the Mediterranean, showing the area's role as a core global maritime hub, said Jia Peng, executive managing editor of the report.

In addition, the report noted that the South China Sea accounts for 40 percent of the global ship docking volume and 30 percent of container transport, serving as a vital link between four major economic regions: China, Japan and South Korea; the Association of Southeast Asian Nations; Australia; and Africa.

With a mature traffic management system, the sea has become the "security ballast" for global shipping and bulk cargo movement, Jia said.

He stressed that the region is also a "strategic artery" for energy and trade, carrying about 40 percent of seaborne crude, 34 percent of LNG and 21 percent of soybeans.

Zhang Haiwen, deputy chief of the Chinese Society of the Law of the Sea, said the report, based on big data, showed the South China Sea's sea lanes are free and safe and that navigation security has been ensured.

Noting that the region is a crucial corridor for energy, ores and grain, she added that the freedom and safety of navigation in the region are vital for smooth trade and sustainable development worldwide, and China is a defender and contributor to peace and stability in these waters.

Hu Bo, director of the Beijing-based think tank South China Sea Strategic Situation Probing Initiative, said that as a responsible major country, China has long prioritized keeping the sea lanes open and is contributing more to maritime safety and stability in the region.