From 26 to 27 October, 2017, the 5th Asia Maritime Security Forum was held in Edmonton, Canada. The Forum was co-organized by the NISCSS, the China Institute as well as the UAlberta North of the University of Alberta. Co-sponsors include the Institute for China-America Studies, Collaborative Innovation Center of South China Sea Studies of Nanjing University, and the China Institute of Boundary and Ocean Studies of Wuhan University.

NISCSS President Wu Shicun and Gordon Houlden, Director of China Institute of the University of Alberta, gave welcome remarks at the opening ceremony, and chaired the first and the second panel respectively. Lu Shaye, Chinese Ambassador to Canada, delivered keynote remarks. There were more than 60 participants from China, Canada, the United States, South Korea, Singapore, Vietnam, and the Philippines, who are mainly diplomats as well as scholars from renowned marine research institutes and universities.

In his speech, President Wu briefly analyzed the current situation of the South China Sea, and put forward four suggestions on how to safeguard regional peace and stability and solve the lingering disputes. First of all, China and the US should establish an effective and integrated mechanism to manage potential crisis. Secondly, China and ASEAN countries should work together to exclude external interferences, speed up the consultation of the Code of Conduct on the South China Sea (COC), and jointly safeguard peace and stability in the South China Sea. Thirdly, China and disputant countries should exercise self-restraint, and avoid unilateral exploration and exploitation of natural resources in disputed areas. Fourthly, China and disputant countries should also actively seek for means to properly address the South China Sea disputes through direct negotiations and consultations.

The theme of the 5th Asia Maritime Security Forum is “Maritime Security & Cooperation: Opportunities and Challenges in Asia-Pacific and the Arctic”. The forum covers five sub-topics, including geo-political situation and security challenges, security and safety challenges of navigation, maritime environment protection, dispute management and ocean governance, and maritime cooperation. Participants held in-depth discussions on the current situation of the South China Sea, issues and factors that may challenge navigation safety and security, maritime dispute settlement mechanisms, as well as the geopolitical competition in the Arctic. They also put forward policy recommendations on COC consultation, the establishment of functional cooperation mechanisms of the South China Sea, and international cooperation in the Arctic and ocean governance. Zhu Feng, Executive Director of Collaborative Innovation Center of South China Sea Studies at Nanjing University, Hong Nong, Executive Director of the Institute for China-America Studies, and Ding duo, Assistant Research Fellow of the NISCSS, also attended the forum as guest speakers.

Launched in 2013 by the NISCSS and the China Institute of the University of Alberta, the annual Asia Maritime Security Forum has been held for up to five years, serving as an important institutionalized mechanism between the two sides.