New South China Sea research committee applauded for boosting marine collaboration

Experts have praised the launch of a new South China Sea studies committee as a crucial move to consolidate academic resources, boost research, and enhance China-Southeast Asia cooperation in advancing the marine economy.

The founding ceremony of the Expert Committee on South China Sea Studies, established by China Media Group (CMG), took place on Saturday at its Sanya base in China's southern island province of Hainan.

Composed of 28 prominent scholars and professionals, both domestic and international, the committee aims to foster rational, fair, and objective discourse on the region and contribute expertise to global discussions.

At the event, attendees emphasized that the South China Sea serves as a bridge between China and Southeast Asia, connecting them through shared history, culture, friendship, and prosperous development. They called for building peace, friendship, and cooperation in this regard.

Research and discussions on the South China Sea should embrace broad, multidimensional perspectives, instead of being limited to the narrow scope of geopolitics, they said.

"The establishment of the Expert Committee on South China Sea Studies brings together experts from various fields, including social sciences, history, law, and even natural sciences, such as environmental protection. This fusion creates synergy and marks a new starting point for South China Sea research," said Wu Shicun, Chairman of the Huayang Research Center for Maritime Cooperation and Ocean Governance, co-host of the founding ceremony.

The event also saw the release of CMG's Southeast Asia Perception Report on the South China Sea.

The report, based on poll analysis and public opinion studies from six Southeast Asian countries, including Indonesia, Malaysia, and Vietnam, presents an overview of Southeast Asian nations' perceptions and stance on the South China Sea issue.

It shows strong public support for diplomatic dialog and consultations in resolving regional disputes, with high expectations for increased cooperation with China in the South China Sea.

"By effectively utilizing the resources and wisdom of both sides and multiple parties, we can collaboratively develop the South China Sea and make it a sea of peace and cooperation. We also touched upon the concept of the marine economy, or blue economy, which I believe is a significant field where we can make significant progress together," said Ong Tee Keat, president of the Belt and Road Initiative Caucus for Asia Pacific and a former transport minister of Malaysia.

"(There are) many sectors that we can make cooperation between China and ASEAN. We need a lot of knowledge from China to develop the marine sectors," said Veronika Saraswati, director of the Indonesia-China Partnership Studies Institute (INCHIPS).

On the same day, the newly established expert committee held a media dialogue on promoting peace in the South China Sea in a multipolar world.

New South China Sea research committee applauded for boosting marine collaboration

The China Pavilion at the 2025 Osaka Expo, which will open to the public by next Sunday, welcomed media visits on Monday, sharing sneak peeks highlighting the integration of Chinese philosophy and modern technologies.

As one of the largest foreign self-built facilities at the Osaka Expo, the China Pavilion has adopted the theme "Building a Community of Life for Man and Nature – Future Society of Green Development."

The pavilion consists of three components themed "past, contemporary, and future" respectively, featuring an integration of traditional Chinese philosophic norms and the modern sustainable development principles.

The first section of "Tian Ren He Yi," or the "Harmony Between Mankind and Nature," features traditional Chinese culture and history. The exhibited installations include a digital "waterfall of characters" demonstrating the Chinese writing system's evolution, with the introduction of Jieqi, or 24 solar terms on China's traditional lunisolar calendar that demonstrates the understanding of ancient Chinese people to the nature.

The highlights of the section are exhibitions of ancient Chinese archeological sites, including Sanxingdui in southwest China's Sichuan Province, Liangzhu in east China's Zhejiang Province, and Yinxu in central China's Henan Province, dating back to three to five thousand years ago. Replicas of cultural relics from the three sites are presented in the pavilion, among them are the earliest water conservancy system from the Liangzhu archeological site, and the mysterious Bronze Divine Tree from Sanxingdui.

"This is a replica of the Bronze Divine Tree made in the Shang Dynasty (1600BC-1046BC). It is among the earliest and largest single-piece bronze artifacts discovered in the world so far. Other exhibits here include the bronze standing figure with an animal-shaped hat, and the bronze mask. With a touch on the screen, we can learn about details of the cultural relics by examining their 3D models in an immersive way. And we also provide trilingual introductions for visitors from around the world to know about the relics," said a docent of the China Pavilion.

The second section, named after China's contemporary green development principle of preserving "Lucid Waters and Lush Mountains," presents descriptions of China's natural and cultural landscapes, ecological systems, and achievements in urban management.

Exhibits in the second section include introductions of China's national parks, and the two mega-sized ecological projects, the Dujiangyan Water Conservancy Project, which was initially built over two thousand years ago and which has been maintained and upgraded since then, and the Three-North Shelterbelt Forest Program, one of world's largest afforestation projects.

In the third section of future developments, a model of China's Jiaolong submersible and exhibits of China's aerospace science projects share with the viewers China's spirit of exploration of the unknown.

China Pavilion of 2025 Osaka Expo opens to media for sneak peeks