On November 3-4, 2016, NISCSS President Wu Shicun attended the 4th Asia Maritime Security Forum in Nanjing, which was co-organized by the NISCSS and the China Institute at the University of Alberta. Scholars from Canada, the United States, Japan, the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, and both sides of Taiwan Straits conducted in-depth discussions on various topics, including geopolitical situation and security challenges, the role of international law in maritime dispute settlement, functional cooperation, and how we can move on after the arbitration ruling.

In his keynote speech at the opening ceremony, President Wu expounded on the features and latest developments of the South China Sea situation, and then proceeded to put forward several suggestions on how to maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea.

As part of a memorandum of understanding signed by the NISCSS and the University of Alberta in 2013, this forum came amid warming China-Philippines ties and a general détente of the South China Sea situation. So far, there have been four forums under this framework.

The Collaborative Innovation Center of South China Sea Studies of Nanjing University and the Institute for China-American Studies are also co-organizors of this year's forum.