written by Li Min / translated by Gao Qianqian

The Practice of Maritime Cooperation is like Cooking a Delicacy

written by Li Min / translated by Gao Qianqian

Ocean is an important channel and natural bond for the economic and trade exchanges between China and ASEAN. And maritime economy and cooperation is a topic that could not be avoided when speaking of China and ASEAN.

In Tao Te Ching, a Chinese classic, there is a remark that“Ruling a country is like cooking a delicacy”, which requires the ingredients to just hit the spot. Though maritime cooperation is diff erent from ruling a country, it involves lots of issues which are quite sensitive. So, it is necessary to discuss maritime cooperation with an attitude of “cooking a delicacy”.

With the advance of the construction of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road and the advent of the Year of China-ASEAN Maritime Cooperation in 2015, China-ASEAN maritime cooperation is moving from the “preparing” stage to the “cooking” stage. And a maritime “dish”, which is concerned by all parties, is going to be served.

A Delicate Dish is Worth Waiting for

According to Wu Shicun, head of the National Institute for South China Sea Studies, the opening of the Year of China-ASEAN Maritime Cooperation in 2015 relies on the foundation laid between China and ASEAN in maritime cooperation. Looking back, we can see the eff orts made by both sides in terms of guiding principles and capital.

Since November, 1944 when the United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea took eff ect, it has become a trend for countries and regions to settle maritime disputes, realize maritime cooperation, and obtain mutual benefi t and win-win result through moderate means. In such a context, China and ASEAN signed the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea in November, 2002, which, as a political framework document, is of great significance in safeguarding the peace and stability of sea waters and enhancing the mutual trust between China and ASEAN.

With regard to the specific content for maritime cooperation, China and ASEAN have carried out beneficial explorations. In fi shery, the Agreement on China-Vietnam Fishery Cooperation in the Beibu Gulf, which took effect in 2004, has established a mechanism for China and Vietnam to jointly supervise fi shery resources in the Beibu Gulf, which is conducive to clarifying the bilateral relations in fishery and safeguarding the sustainable utilization of fi shery resources in the Beibu Gulf.

Besides, the Framework Agreement on China-ASEAN Comprehensive Economic Cooperation signed between China and ASEAN in 2002 also touches upon cooperation in tourism, fishery and customs etc. These framework documents have provided the right directions for China-ASEAN maritime cooperation. And the China-ASEAN Maritime Cooperation Fund proposed by China in 2011 off ers fi nancial support for the cooperation.

China-ASEAN maritime cooperation is moving from the“preparing” stage to the “cooking” stage. And a maritime“dish”, which is concerned by all parties, is going to be served.

In 2013, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang unveiled the operation conditions and the first batch of projects of the China-ASEAN Maritime Cooperation Fund for the first time. The China-ASEAN Oceanographic Institute of Xiamen University Malaysian Branch, the renovation project of the comprehensive fi shery base in Indonesia and the China-ASEAN Port Cities Cooperation Network are all in the list. They exhibit the progress made by China and ASEAN in maritime cooperation.

However, due to numerous unstable factors, these framework documents are not fully implemented. Also, maritime cooperation is not highlighted in the CAFTA agreements and few ASEAN countries/enterprises are engaged in the projects backed by the China-ASEAN Maritime Cooperation Fund. Nevertheless, these efforts have laid a sound foundation for China-ASEAN maritime cooperation in the future. “A delicate dish is worth waiting for”. As the ingredients and fi rewood are ready, the chef is going to strut his stuff .

Water and Fire, Salt and Sour to Work in Harmony

For some ASEAN countries, it is a common consensus that a country which faces the sea prospers. Indonesian President Joko Widodo has claimed to build Indonesia into a maritime power. Though common consensus has been reached, there are still many diffi culties. For instance, some countries adopted the extensive way of exploring deepsea resources, which leads to wasting of resources and damage on ecological environment.

There is no ground for blame when countries discuss maritime economy on the basis of national interests. In the context of economic globalization and regional integration, however, it is not a long-term strategy to pursue unilateral benefits excessively and put the peace and stability of the whole region aside.

As a Chinese proverb says, “When cooking, water and fire, salt and sour work in harmony”, which means cooking relies on the harmonious work of waterand fire while seasoning depends on the proper use of salt and sour. It is a metaphor denoting that with different dispositions, people could work together with one heart. As China-ASEAN maritime cooperation is concerned, China and the ASEAN countries, with different national interests, could collaborate well in regional maritime cooperation, and present a feast that could be enjoyed by all.

If the framework documents signed in the “Golden Decade” for China-ASEAN cooperation safeguard stability via“restrain”, China and ASEAN need to work out a new blueprint in the “Diamond Decade” to “inspire” all parties for maritime cooperation that is based on common goals. So, the initiative of co-building the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road is proposed at the right time.

The construction of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road underlines“connectivity” and “win-win results”. It welcomes the ASEAN countries to join the projects backed by the China-ASEAN Maritime Cooperation Fund. In 2013, Chinese President Xi Jinping vested the fund with new missions and connotations, which would put more emphasis on ASEAN elements and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. With the advance of the fi rst batch of fund-supported projects, the ASEAN countries begin to show more interest in it.

As one of the first batch of fundsupported projects, the master plan of the Qinzhou base for the China-ASEAN Port Cites Network has been completed. Also, five supporting projects have been launched, including liner ship routes and shipping service from Qinzhou to the main ports of ASEAN countries, China-ASEAN port logistics information center (phase 1) & center for maritime search and rescue, marine meteorological monitoring and warning base, aquatic training base, and the fi nance settlement center for shipping. Apart from that, Xiamen University Malaysian Branch broke ground in 2014.

Compared to those framework documents, projects lay more emphasis on economic benefi ts. With this common goal, it is more feasible for China and ASEAN to “make good use of the ingredients and cook a delicacy”.

The Main Course is Served

China and ASEAN have ever established the Tourism Year and Culture Year. And the Year of Maritime Cooperation is like the main course served at a feast, which gathers the painstaking work of the chef and attracts more attention and expectation.

In the Year of China-ASEAN Maritime Cooperation, China and ASEAN take priority areas like maritime economy, maritime connectivity, maritime environment, disaster prevention and reduction, maritime safety and maritime culture as breakthrough points to strengthen the dialogue cooperation with countries bordering the South China Sea, discuss cooperation mechanisms and modes that are accepted by all, and co-explore marine resources through dialogues and negotiations.

When the “dish” of China-ASEAN maritime cooperation is to be cooked, it is necessary for China and ASEAN to consider what and how much ingredients shall be put. For example, projects backed by the China-ASEAN Maritime Cooperation Fund, in principle, should not repeat the first batch of projects. So, the second batch of projects could highlight the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road and other maritime cooperation projects apart from fishery base construction, maritime eco-environment protection, and the production and trading of sea products. Besides, how could maritime cooperation projects obtain financial support from the newlyestablished $40 billion Silk Road fund and how to construct sea transportation infrastructure by virtue of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank have become topics that deserve in-depth exploration.

In China, a maritime cooperation research center for China and ASEAN is under active construction, and project examination and approval of the China-ASEAN Maritime Cooperation Fund in 2015 is proceeding intensely. China, with concrete acts, has shown its willingness and sincerity to enhance maritime cooperation with the ASEAN countries, who have also prepared some projects. It is expected that both sides could gain new results in the Year of China-ASEAN Maritime Cooperation.

With previous endeavors and an active attitude of “cooking a delicacy”, the Year of China-ASEAN Maritime Cooperation is more like a refreshing ingredient for the dish of China-ASEAN maritime cooperation. So, it would be well-reasoned for China and ASEAN, who have prepared the ingredients and mastered the time and heat, to bring a“pleasant flavor” for regional maritime economy.

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