Chinese scholars say South China Sea dispute negatively impacts maritime security

World Today

Chinese scholars speak about the China-Philippines dispute

Earlier this year, the Philippines filed an arbitration case at the United Nations against China’s claim to sovereignty of a group of islands in the South China Sea. Scholars have just concluded a symposium in Beijing to discuss the case and they said that it has a negative impact on regional maritime security. CCTV America’s Wu Guoxiu reports.

Chinese scholars speak about the China-Philippines dispute

Earlier this year, the Philippines filed an arbitration case at the United Nations against China's claim to sovereignty of a group of islands in the South China Sea. Scholars have just concluded a symposium in Beijing to discuss the case and they said that it has a negative impact on regional maritime security. CCTV America’s Wu Guoxiu reports.

Part of the China-Philippines dispute in the South China Sea is Huangyan Island. The Philippines began to challenge China’s sovereignty of the island in the 1990s. Some scholars said that part of the motive besides getting natural resources is geopolitics.

Given the complexity of the dispute, experts said that a better solution is to shelve differences and seek common development.

China has insisted that the South China Sea dispute can only be resolved through direct talks.

According to the Chinese perspective, international judicial mechanisms will not necessarily help mediate or resolve the tension. While the U.N. Convention on the Law of Sea has played an important role in promoting maritime cooperation in the past, it may not be able to solve this territorial dispute.