May 6–7, Dr. Wu Shicun, Chairman of the Huayang Center for Maritime Cooperation and Ocean Governance and Chairman of the Academic Committee of the National Institute for South China Sea Studies (NISCSS), was invited to Singapore to participate in a series of academic events jointly organized by the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS) of Nanyang Technological University and the Republic of Singapore Navy.
On May 6, Wu Shicun spoke at the "RSIS–South China Sea Strategic Situation Probing Initiative (SCSPI) Maritime Roundtable" and engaged in discussions on issues including the China-Philippines dispute in the South China Sea (SCS), the Trump administration's SCS policy, and the development of Track II dialogue mechanisms among SCS littoral States.
On May 7, Wu Shicun attended the 9th International Maritime Security Conference (IMSC) and delivered a speech on the first session - "Geopolitical Developments and Their Maritime Consequences". Wu Shicun reviewed the current situation in the SCS and elaborated on key influencing factors as well as the prospects for negotiating the Code of Conduct in the SCS (COC).
Wu Shicun noted that despite the many challenges currently facing the SCS, there remains a basic consensus among relevant countries on resolving disputes through bilateral negotiations and advancing maritime cooperation and development. He emphasized that the future trajectory of the SCS will largely depend on the policies adopted by China, the claimant states, and extra-regional powers. The lack of consensus on key issues among relevant parties, the insufficient willingness of claimant states to cooperate, and the negative impact of extra-regional powers on the order of SCS are major factors hindering progress in the negotiations of the COC.
Rear Admiral Sean Wat, Chief of the Navy of Singapore, delivered the opening remarks, and Ong Keng Yong, Executive Deputy Chairman of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, delivered the closing remarks. The session was moderated by Professor Tommy Koh, former President of the Third UN Conference on the Law of the Sea. Panelists included Dr. Rizal Sukma, Senior Fellow at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), Indonesia; Dr. David Finkelstein, Vice President and Director of China and Indo-Pacific Security Affairs Division at US Center for Naval Analyses (CNA); and Dr. Sarah Kirchberger, Academic Director of Institute for Security Policy at Kiel University (ISPK) and Vice President of the German Maritime Institute.
The conference brought together over 500 participants, including experts and scholars, diplomats, naval and coast guard officers, as well as representatives from international organizations, from more than 40 countries including China, the United States, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Indonesia.
