From 2 to 3 September 2019, NISCSS President Wu Shicun attended the 14th International Seapower Symposium in Seoul, the Republic of Korea (ROK), upon the invitation of Adm Sim Seung-seob, Chief of Naval Operation of the ROK. Dr. Wu delivered remarks at the session on “The Evolving Maritime Security Environment in the Asia-Pacific,” covering China’s policies on the South China Sea, and factors driving the future development of the South China Sea situations such as the China-US competition, the evolving Indo-Pacific Strategy, and negotiations between China and ASEAN countries on the South China Sea Code of Conduct. He also analyzed other issues that impact regional maritime security such as the bilateral relationship between China and Australia.    

Themed “Enhancing Maritime Security Cooperation for Peace and Prosperity in the Asia Pacific,” this year’s symposium attracted more than 300 participants from over 25 countries, including naval representatives and sea-related government departments from the ROK, China and the US, as well as speakers from well-known think tanks, research institutes and universities such as the NISCSS, Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies of the US, National Maritime foundation of India, Japan Institute of International Affairs, Australian National University, Korea Institute for Maritime Strategy (KIMS), Seoul National University, and Korea Polar Research Institute. ROK Chief of Naval Operation Adm Sim Seung-seob, ROK National Assembly National Defense Committee Chairman Ahn Gyu-back, and US former ambassador to the ROK Mark Lippert delivered speeches at the opening ceremony. 

Launched in 1989, the International Sea Power Symposium has been hosted every two years by the ROK navy and KIMS, aiming to be an institutionalized platform for promoting dialogues on maritime and regional security issues of the Asia-Pacific and Indo-Pacific.