Active participant in the polar affairs

crisis settlement mechanism or a crisis control mechanism, or what kinds of maritime disputes such a consensus should be applied to.

Considering the code of conduct in the South China Sea under negotiation also involves who will benefit most from the making of the rules, China should take the initiative to maintain its presence in this arduous game, in which not only littoral but also some non-littoral states around the South China Sea hope to claim interest.

The rapid development of science and technology, and the expansion of human activities in space have already extended exploration, research and exploitation from land and coastal areas to the high seas and oceans, the polar regions, outer space and cyberspace. Outer space and cyberspace are called the new global territories, and the polar regions and high seas the new sea territories.

The new sea territories have become a new area where various countries are trying to expand their strategic resources and pursue superiority, turning them into a new power game arena of international relations. According to extant international laws, most of these new territories are assets of humankind, and thus countries can conduct competitive but not exclusive activities there. The question is: How to take account of the interests of all the stakeholders while safeguarding the common interests of humankind?

Liu Huirong, dean of the Law and Politics School, Ocean University of China