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Chinese and U.S. scholars held a candid and thorough dialogue on the South China Sea issue on July 5 in Washington， D.C.， urging all parties involved to find common ground and alleviate the hype.
The dialogue was co-hosted by the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies at Renmin University of China （RDCY） and the Washington-based Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
Former top Chinese diplomat Dai Bingguo delivered a speech stating that China will not accept the award of the Manila-initiated arbitration over the South China Sea， but will stick to peaceful resolution of disputes through bilateral talks.
The so-called arbitration award， scheduled to be announced on July 12， “amounts to nothing more than a piece of paper，”Dai， former State Councilor and honorary President of the Institute of International and Strategic Studies at Peking University， said in his speech.
He reiterated that the Nansha islands and reefs are part of China’s territory. China remains committed to the peaceful resolution of disputes in the South China Sea through negotiations and consultations with countries directly concerned， and the hype around the situation must cool down.
For many years， the South China Sea had remained trouble free， and freedom of navigation was guaranteed. However， since the 1970s， the Philippines， Viet Nam and other countries have illegally occupied 42 islands and reefs of China’s Nansha Islands by force， which has given rise to the territorial disputes over these islands and reefs. Over several decades， the Philippines and Viet Nam carried out large-scale construction， deployed armaments and continued provocative behavior at sea. These illegal occupations and provocations are violations of international law and the UN Charter and should be condemned， according to Dai.
“The world can see that on the South China Sea issue， China is by no means a wrong-doer or trouble maker， but rather a victim，” he stressed.
Recalling China’s historical suffering from hegemonic powers， he pointed out，“That is why China will seize its own future on issues of territorial sovereignty and will never accept any solution imposed by a third party.”
China has not lost confidence and will stick to its policy of seeking a peaceful settlement through bilateral negotiation and consultation， Dai explained， as such an approach best reflects adherence to international law and the basic norms of international relations. This has been a successful practice of China in honoring the international rule of law. Moreover， settling disputes through negotiation and consultation is the only viable way to manage and resolve the South China Sea issue， he said. Dai believed that， in spite of China and the United States having very different histories， cultures， social systems， values， and different levels of development， the two major countries have enough sight and wisdom to increase strategic communication in a productive way and handle any differences in a constructive manner. Furthermore， both countries should endeavor to transcend differences by focusing on and expanding cooperation. The South China Sea could well have been an example of this approach.
“What we need is not a microscope to zoom in on our differences， but a telescope to look ahead and focus on cooperation. Both China and America are great nations with insight and vision，” said Dai， suggesting the two sides take a practical approach to keep the situation under control.
“This meeting is very timely，” echoed John Negroponte， former U.S. Deputy Secretary of State. He agreed that a discussion between the two sides will help to reduce tension and diminish misunderstanding. Currently， he urged “all sides to restrain.”
Wang Wen， RDCY Executive Dean， pointed out that the South China Sea situation had developed far beyond the imaginations of all sides. “This should not be a zero-sum game，” he emphasized.
Wang said the U.S. side should be impartial， instead of choosing a side， to prevent unnecessarily antagonizing a fellow major nation. China and the United States need to boost relations in other fields to negate the concerns over the South China Sea， he suggested.
Roger Baker， Vice President of Washington-based Geopolitical Analysis， expressed similar viewpoints. He said besides high-level exchanges， the two major countries can also promote communication at lower levels. For example， discussions between both navies would be beneficial to keeping the situation under control.
The dialogue was co-hosted by the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies at Renmin University of China （RDCY） and the Washington-based Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
Former top Chinese diplomat Dai Bingguo delivered a speech stating that China will not accept the award of the Manila-initiated arbitration over the South China Sea， but will stick to peaceful resolution of disputes through bilateral talks.
The so-called arbitration award， scheduled to be announced on July 12， “amounts to nothing more than a piece of paper，”Dai， former State Councilor and honorary President of the Institute of International and Strategic Studies at Peking University， said in his speech.
He reiterated that the Nansha islands and reefs are part of China’s territory. China remains committed to the peaceful resolution of disputes in the South China Sea through negotiations and consultations with countries directly concerned， and the hype around the situation must cool down.
For many years， the South China Sea had remained trouble free， and freedom of navigation was guaranteed. However， since the 1970s， the Philippines， Viet Nam and other countries have illegally occupied 42 islands and reefs of China’s Nansha Islands by force， which has given rise to the territorial disputes over these islands and reefs. Over several decades， the Philippines and Viet Nam carried out large-scale construction， deployed armaments and continued provocative behavior at sea. These illegal occupations and provocations are violations of international law and the UN Charter and should be condemned， according to Dai.
“The world can see that on the South China Sea issue， China is by no means a wrong-doer or trouble maker， but rather a victim，” he stressed.
Recalling China’s historical suffering from hegemonic powers， he pointed out，“That is why China will seize its own future on issues of territorial sovereignty and will never accept any solution imposed by a third party.”
China has not lost confidence and will stick to its policy of seeking a peaceful settlement through bilateral negotiation and consultation， Dai explained， as such an approach best reflects adherence to international law and the basic norms of international relations. This has been a successful practice of China in honoring the international rule of law. Moreover， settling disputes through negotiation and consultation is the only viable way to manage and resolve the South China Sea issue， he said. Dai believed that， in spite of China and the United States having very different histories， cultures， social systems， values， and different levels of development， the two major countries have enough sight and wisdom to increase strategic communication in a productive way and handle any differences in a constructive manner. Furthermore， both countries should endeavor to transcend differences by focusing on and expanding cooperation. The South China Sea could well have been an example of this approach.
“What we need is not a microscope to zoom in on our differences， but a telescope to look ahead and focus on cooperation. Both China and America are great nations with insight and vision，” said Dai， suggesting the two sides take a practical approach to keep the situation under control.
“This meeting is very timely，” echoed John Negroponte， former U.S. Deputy Secretary of State. He agreed that a discussion between the two sides will help to reduce tension and diminish misunderstanding. Currently， he urged “all sides to restrain.”
Wang Wen， RDCY Executive Dean， pointed out that the South China Sea situation had developed far beyond the imaginations of all sides. “This should not be a zero-sum game，” he emphasized.
Wang said the U.S. side should be impartial， instead of choosing a side， to prevent unnecessarily antagonizing a fellow major nation. China and the United States need to boost relations in other fields to negate the concerns over the South China Sea， he suggested.
Roger Baker， Vice President of Washington-based Geopolitical Analysis， expressed similar viewpoints. He said besides high-level exchanges， the two major countries can also promote communication at lower levels. For example， discussions between both navies would be beneficial to keeping the situation under control.