At the recently concluded 7th Forum on Marine Cooperation and Governance, delegates from over 30 countries and regions held in-depth exchanges on the transformation of global marine governance and regional blue economic cooperation. Spanning different development stages and accommodates pluralistic interests, the dialogue reaffirmed a shared consensus: in the face of systemic maritime challenges, unilateralism leads nowhere, and solidarity and cooperation represent the right path forward. Given their geographical proximity and interconnected maritime interests, deeper marine governance cooperation serves the shared interests of China and ASEAN and is a key pillar for advancing multilateralism and improving the regional maritime order.
Global marine governance now stands at a critical juncture of rule restructuring and intertwined risks. On one hand, transboundary threats driven by climate change — including sea level rise, coastal erosion and extreme disasters — have become a common challenge for all nations. Land subsidence in Jakarta, Indonesia, the existential pressure on small island developing states such as the Maldives, and the climate adaptation needs of coastal cities across ASEAN call for better governance coordination. Marine development presents a notable differentiation trend: traditional offshore resource constraints continue to tighten, and conventional sectors like fisheries face profound transformation, while new demands for deep-sea development, new marine energy and seabed digital infrastructure are expanding rapidly, creating widespread pressure for the transition from old to new growth drivers across the region. Meanwhile, the boundaries of maritime security keep expanding. Critical infrastructure such as submarine cables and energy pipelines face hybrid threats; emerging fields like autonomous underwater vehicles fall into legal blind spots; and traditional law enforcement and existing rules can no longer fully adapt to new challenges. The cross-border, complex nature of these issues means no country can address them alone.
As one of the most dynamic partnerships in the Asia-Pacific, China-ASEAN maritime cooperation rests on a solid foundation and holds broad prospects. Over the decades, the two sides have expanded cooperation from traditional fisheries and shipping to low-sensitivity areas, including ecological protection, disaster response, and maritime search and rescue. The Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) has provided a vital institutional framework for managing differences and building consensus.
Today, bilateral cooperation extends beyond individual projects into all-domain governance, covering marine spatial planning, coordinated industrial transformation and mutual recognition of rules and standards. Countries move at different paces of transformation: Indonesia is advancing its Kampung Nelayan Merah Putih (KNMP, Red and White Fishing Village) program, Vietnam is accelerating offshore wind power deployment, and Singapore is developing high-end marine science and innovation. Yet they all share the goal of sustainable marine development, and this complementarity across development stages constitutes the profound potential of regional blue cooperation.
To deepen China-ASEAN marine governance cooperation, it is essential to follow a three-pronged approach: capacity building as the foundation, innovation as the enabler, and cooperation as the driving force.
First, underpin the governance baseline through capacity building. Given the governance capacity gaps across the region, we should start with the most pressing shared needs, carry out technology sharing and personnel training in marine disaster early warning, coral reef and mangrove restoration, and fishery resource conservation. These efforts will help developing countries shore up foundational capacity and build coastal climate resilience, ensuring no party is left behind in the marine transformation.
Second, break development bottlenecks through innovation-driven growth. We should promote a three-dimensional marine spatial utilization model that integrates the sea surface, water column and seabed, shifting marine spatial use from planar expansion to three-dimensional intensification, and resolving the dual dilemma of development and conservation. Joint technological research on new growth areas, including equipment-enabled aquaculture, new marine energy and the blue carbon economy, can move industries up the value chain and unlock blue growth momentum through dual innovation in technology and institutions.
Third, improve governance order through multilateral cooperation. We should uphold the international maritime rule of law based on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), deepen dialogue and consultation under the DOC framework, continue advancing consultations on the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC), jointly reject bloc confrontation mentality, and consolidate regional governance through pragmatic cooperation.
The ocean is a bond connecting the world and fertile ground for shared hope. The core essence of the Global Governance Initiative is to uphold extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, and encourage the international community to address common challenges together. Deepened marine governance cooperation between China and ASEAN will not only inject blue momentum into regional economic growth, but also offer regional practice for improving global marine governance and building a maritime community with a shared future. By building consensus through dialogue and tackling challenges through cooperation, the vast blue ocean that sustains the common well-being of the regional peoples will surely become a sea of peace, cooperation and prosperity.
The author is an Associate Research Fellow at the National Institute for South China Sea Studies (NISCSS).
The views don't necessarily reflect those of China Daily.
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