China's role in global ocean governance gains wide recognition

Beijing's active contributions to global ocean governance and maritime dispute settlement are receiving broad recognition from the international community, according to diplomats, scholars and legal experts at the Third Symposium on International Maritime Dispute Settlement and International Law in Beijing.

Thorir Ibsen, Iceland's ambassador to China, said China is of "vital importance for the development of ocean law and dispute settlement", noting the country's leadership in WTO negotiations on fishery subsidies and its active engagement in ocean biodiversity and conservation efforts.

This sentiment was echoed by Ahmed Amin Fathalla, a member of the UN International Law Commission, who highlighted China's longstanding commitment to international law and the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). 

Vivian Forbes, a professor from the University of Western Australia commended China for hosting the symposium and emphasized the country's cooperative approach. "China is doing very well at the moment, very keen to cooperate and collaborate with the people in the region and maintain the governance of the ocean," Forbes said. He stressed the importance of resolving international maritime disputes through goodwill communication and open consultations.

The Third Symposium on International Maritime Dispute Settlement and International Law was held in Beijing on Dec 1. Co-hosted by the Huayang Center for Maritime Cooperation and Ocean Governance and the China Oceanic Development Foundation, the event brought together nearly 300 participants, including representatives from the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, the International Law Commission, the International Seabed Authority, as well as scholars, think-tank experts, government officials, diplomats from China, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Portugal, Australia, Germany, Austria, Burundi, Cameroon and Nicaragua.