This year, China is hosting the 19th meeting of the Western Pacific Naval Symposium (WPNS) in the city of Qingdao by the sea. This is an event that was last held in China 10 years ago. The Chinese navy has invited navies from the United States, Russia, Japan, and other countries to have security talks. The goal is to reduce tensions and prevent incidents at sea. The Chinese hosts will carefully look at the list of guests.
The theme of this 4-day event is “Seas of Shared Future.” Over 180 navy representatives from 29 countries are taking part, including Australia, Cambodia, Chile, France, and India.
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At the meeting, the delegates will review what has happened since the last WPNS meeting two years ago. They will plan for the future and discuss and vote on things like the WPNS Business Charter, the Code for Unplanned Encounters at Sea (CUES), and unmanned systems.
Naval leaders from other countries are talking about the Global Security Initiative, peace at sea, maritime order based on cooperation and international laws, and global sea governance.
Liang Wei, a senior officer from China’s Naval Research Academy (NRA), said that the attendance and ranks of officers from other countries were very high at this meeting. This shows how active the symposium is and also the influence and strength of the Chinese navy.
China is a founding member of WPNS. China previously hosted the 14th WPNS meeting in Qingdao in 2014. At that meeting, member states approved CUES, which gives navies a way to avoid misunderstandings and accidents at sea.
Ren Xiaofeng, another senior NRA officer, said the symposium helps promote communication and exchanges between naval officers of different ranks from different countries. At this year’s meeting, delegates will be invited to tour military and cultural sites, as well as see a light show with international naval themes.
This year is also the 75th anniversary of the founding of China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy. Over the decades, the PLA Navy has grown into a strategic force with five services, nuclear and conventional weapons, moving towards becoming a world-class navy.
Countries will also vote on the creation of a new working group on unmanned systems, with the People’s Liberation Army Navy serving as the coordinator, according to the forum’s agenda.
Oceans with a Shared Future
The Western Pacific Naval Symposium (WPNS) is a biennial congregation of nations bordering the Pacific Ocean, convened to deliberate on naval matters during even-numbered years.
The WPNS has made significant strides in promoting cooperation and understanding among the navies of the Pacific nations. It has provided a valuable platform for discussing cooperative initiatives, reducing misunderstandings at sea, and promoting communication among naval officers of various ranks. Currently, WPNS has 23 member states and 7 observer states. The inception of this forum can be traced back to the International Seapower Symposium held in 1987, where consensus was reached to establish a platform for regional naval leaders to exchange ideas and explore cooperative initiatives. The inaugural WPNS meeting took place in 1988. One of the significant achievements of the WPNS was the agreement reached on the Code for Unplanned Encounters at Sea (CUES) in 2014. This navy-to-navy template was designed to reduce misunderstandings and avoid maritime accidents.
US Attends The Symposium
The four-day symposium, gathering delegations from 30 nations, unfolds amidst heightened tensions in the South China Sea, where the U.S. treaty ally, the Philippines, finds itself embroiled in an increasingly fraught standoff with Beijing over the strategic waterway, a potential flashpoint that could strain U.S.-China relations.
Admiral Stephen Koehler, the Commander of the Pacific Fleet, represented the United States at the Western Pacific Naval Symposium. During the previous symposium in 2014, under the presidency of Barack Obama, the U.S. delegation comprised the Chief of Naval Operations and the Commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet.
However, relations have been tumultuous under the presidencies of Donald Trump and Joe Biden, with bilateral military dialogue coming to a complete halt in August 2022 when the then-U.S. House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi, angered Beijing with her visit to Taiwan. Participation in Chinese security conferences was relegated to lower ranks. At a Beijing forum hosted by the deputy chairman of China’s powerful Central Military Commission in early November, mid-ranking U.S. delegates engaged in limited sideline conversations with their mid-ranking Chinese counterparts.
Nonetheless, in late November, Presidents Biden and Xi Jinping agreed to resume bilateral military talks. Ties have since warmed, and the channels for bilateral military engagement are gradually reopening, helping to bolster the fragile relationship. The increase in military contacts has been welcomed as a positive development.
China Committed To Resolving Maritime Disputes
China remains steadfast in its commitment to resolving maritime disputes with other nations through dialogue, yet it will not tolerate being “abused,” declared a top military official at a gathering of senior foreign naval officers in the port city of Qingdao.
Zhang Youxia, the vice chairman of the Central Military Commission and China’s second-highest-ranking military official emphasized that the sea should not be treated as an arena where countries can flex their “gunboat muscles.”
“Reality has demonstrated that those who deliberately provoke, stoke tensions, or support one side against another for selfish gains will ultimately only harm themselves,” Zhang proclaimed during the opening ceremony of the Western Pacific Naval Symposium at the upscale St Regis hotel.
These comments seemingly alluded to the escalating tensions in the South China Sea, where the Washington treaty ally, the Philippines, finds itself embroiled in a fraught standoff with Beijing over the strategic waterway, a potential flashpoint for U.S.-China relations.
Zhang further cautioned the assembled delegates that “carrying out maritime containment, encirclement, and island blockades will only plunge the world into a vortex of division and turbulence.”
The event coincides with the annual large-scale joint military drills between the United States and the Philippines, which commence on Monday and will be held outside Philippine territorial waters for the first time.
Tensions are particularly heightened around the Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea, where Manila has accused Beijing of “harassment,” including the use of water cannons against Philippine vessels.
The Western Pacific Naval Symposium remains a vital platform for nations to discuss maritime cooperation. Despite tensions, China’s hosting reflects a commitment to dialogue. The focus on shared future seas emphasizes cooperation and peace. High-ranking officers’ attendance highlights the symposium’s importance. Dialogue, not confrontation, is stressed, echoing efforts to enhance trust between nations. The WPNS continues to be a beacon for fostering collaboration and ensuring maritime security for all.
