On 22-24 October 2024, in Ha Long, Vietnam, Amb. Pou Sothirak, Distinguished Senior Advisor to CCRS, and Mr. Him Raksmey, Executive Director of CCRS, were invited to participate in the 16th South China Sea International Conference under the theme “Navigating Narratives, Nurturing Norms”, organized by the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam (DAV).
The 16th SCS International Conference aims to assess the current state of the South China Sea and beyond, discusses practical measures for managing tensions, promotes maritime cooperation, and explores pathways to enhanced security and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific. The conference gathered together about 40 prominent experts, and was attended by more than 250 onsite and 1,000 online participants including senior officials, members of the diplomatic corps, business executives, leading scholars and academics, and the informed public throughout the region and the wider world.
On 22 October, DAV hosted an informal discussion called ASEAN Dialogue Session on “Southeast Asia and Responses against Natural Disasters: United We Act” to discuss how Southeast Asia can improve regional responses to natural disasters, and joined by about 20 regional scholars and experts. The discussion was candid, touching upon on key issues related to ASEAN’s preparedness and response capabilities in addressing natural disasters such as challenges of existing frameworks, importance of coordination of national and regional mechanisms, leveraging emerging technological innovations, and fostering regional and international collaborations. During the meeting, Mr. Him Raksmey, CCRS’ ED, said that ASEAN Members’ limited preparedness and response capabilities in relation to addressing natural disasters reflects the limited effectiveness in general of ASEAN as a regional institution. He added that ASEAN needs to play more committed roles with regard to natural disasters’ responses and preparedness – particularly in enhancing the capacity of its own member states, and exhibit steadfast regional leadership to forge a common position in heightening the urgency to act swiftly and enhancing the prioritization of national disaster preparedness and responses, fostering regional and international partnership, especially know-how, best practices and innovative technology, and expanding coordinated collaborations and investments across critical sectors.
During the course of the two-day conference on 23 and 24 October, there were many interesting discussions on key issues including the prospects of the global order and potential shifts to multipolarity and multiplexity, directions of the ASEAN Centrality amidst pressing regional and global challenges, maritime safety and freedom of navigation, and narratives on maritime security. In addition, the debates intensified on other key issues such as relevance of the United Nations on Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), principles of non-use or threat to use of force, peaceful resolutions and conflict preventions, roles of Artificial Intelligence (AI) driven innovations in the maritime domain, and approaches towards peace in the SCS including diplomacy, defense and deterrence.
With perceptive presentations made by regional experts, the participants were impressed and gained deeper insights into the complex issues which being deliberated during the two full days conferences. There were open discussions and interactive engagements among the participants during each of the seven well-prescribed sessions. By way of contributing to the conference and keenly getting involve in the debates, the CCRS delegation forwarded some comments and questions pertaining to various aspects of the conference, including: the prospects of the conclusion of the Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea; the challenges of the rules-based international order; how the region manages effectively their relations with both the US and China?; How strategic stability between Washington and Beijing can be reached?; ASEAN Charter and the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC) should be reviewed; as well as the state of defense preparedness and deterrence of the region in responding to potential maritime crises, among other matters. The CCRS representatives also took the opportunity to network with prominent regional think tankers and diplomats, and explore the possibilities of cooperation on areas of mutual interests.
CCRS would like to express our sincere congratulation to DAV for the successful hosting of this important conference. We appreciate the warm hospitality extended to our delegation since our arrival to Ha Long and the opportunity to be a part of this high-profile event.
Below were Key Takeaways of this Conference:
- The current state of the world is volatile and dangerous, ridden with violations of rules and norms, and filled with current and potential crises and conflicts – spanning across both traditional and non-traditional issues – from state to non-state levels. This signifies the decline in multilateralism, and the limitation of international laws along with international and regional institutions, and the intensifications of the US-China rivalry.
- How the US and China manage their relations will define the degree of stability of the international system. Their competition for dominance will shape the world order in a profound way. The outcome of the upcoming the US Presidential Elections in November 2024, and the domestic stability in China are critical elements to determine such stability. Regional countries have to be well prepared to navigate the intense rivalry between the US and China.
- Amidst the potential destabilizing global order, international laws along with international and regional rules and norms are essential for regional states to safeguard peace and security. They need to work collaboratively to further enhance, not weaken, international and regional rules-based order.
- In the face of the fluidity of the international system, regional states must strike a balance between their national interests and regional interests. They must ensure that their individual national interests are in line with broader regional interests, based on long-term strategic outlooks and not on narrow short-term gains.
- South China Sea remains the most critical security flashpoint that can be erupted with miscalculations and misunderstandings between and among the parties involved. The impacts of any open conflicts will be detrimental affecting peace and prosperity to all ASEAN states and the wider region.
- If SCS issue is not addressed through binding rules and norms, ASEAN-China relations will slide down the slippery slope, and both sides will lose credibility as reliable drivers for peace and security in the region. In this light, all ASEAN members and China should show genuine political will and utmost sincerity to conclude the negotiation of the biding Code of Conduct (COC) of South China Sea.
- The ongoing dispute in the SCS should be viewed from a more holistic picture, as this is not solely about contestations of sovereignty over maritime claims, but more so about the regional states maneuver skillfully around great powers’ narratives and be able to nurture international norm and rules to resolve those contestations in keeping the sea-lanes free and open from escalations of tensions and conflicts.
- The SCS International Conference is a useful platform for substantive dialogues and debates among all stakeholders, including policymakers and experts to exchange views on various related critical issues. Such conference’s usefulness, with a goal of promoting a more rules-based order that contributes to regional peace and prosperity, should be continued well into the future.
