Efforts urged to uphold stability

Amid escalating tensions, countries in the South China Sea region share common ground, and an open conflict would serve no one's interests, according to observers, who called for more efforts to manage disputes and form a constructive regional order.

Scholars from countries in the region, including China, the Philippines, Indonesia and Vietnam, said in a panel discussion on South China Sea during the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2024 that recent incidents between Beijing and Manila on China's Ren'ai Reef of the Nansha Islands have raised concerns that the situation in the South China Sea is moving from overall stability to unpredictable risks.

Wu Shicun, chairman of the Hua­yang Research Center for Maritime Cooperation and Ocean Governance and founding president of the National Institute for South China Sea Studies, said, "If the situation deteriorates further or gets out of control, the only victims would be the countries along the waters."

The Philippines and other countries in the South China Sea region should return to their commitments to the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea by refraining from practices that would complicate the situation and intensify conflicts, Wu said.

Underlining that no country wants to see an all-out conflict in the South China Sea, Shafiah Muhibat, deputy executive director for research at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies in Indonesia, said, "Increased tensions, more incidents and anything that may lead to an open conflict are definitely not in any party's interests."

Repeated calls for dialogues and consultation have shown that people in the region want peace and stability, Muhibat said.

Continuing with engagements and accelerating regional cooperation are indispensable, she added, calling on countries in the region to work on "existing opportunities and creating new ones" in order to deal with these challenges.

Maria Lourdes Tiquia, founder and CEO of PUBLiCUS Asia, a think tank in the Philippines, said: "Let us calm the sea first. Peace cannot be kept by force. It can only be achieved by understanding."

Channels should be established for talks, Tiquia said, adding that the friendship from frequent talks could lead to solutions on the issues.

"The process becomes more important than the outcomes, as process is how we break the impasse," she said.

Regarding external forces' involvement, especially the United States' interference, in the South China Sea, Tiquia said that involvement by such parties may not necessarily be good for the region, and solutions should be left to those who are in the region.