At the invitation of Ambassador Wolfgang Ischinger, Chairman of the Munich Security Conference (MSC), NISCSS President, Dr. Wu Shicun attended the 56th edition of MSC in Munich, Germany from 14 to 16 February 2020.

Roundtable: Bridging Troubled Waters – Alleviating Conflict Potential in the South China Sea

On 14 February, Dr. Wu attended the Roundtable: Bridging Troubled Waters – Alleviating Conflict Potential in the South China Sea and delivered a remark on an assessment and possible further need of action to mitigate potential struggle in the South China Sea from a Chinese perspective. He indicated that for 2020, although it is safe to predict that the South China Sea will remain relatively stable and controllable, negative factors and uncertainties are on a notable rise. First, unilateral actions by some claimants will be a major factor for instability in the South China Sea. Second, the COC textual negotiations may run into unexpected difficulties. Third, legal disputes over the South China Sea will intensify again. Fourth, the South China Sea issues, orchestrated by some countries, may become further “internationalized”. Fifth, the close cooperation between the U.S. and Viet Nam on the South China Sea issues may create a new “black swan” event.(Click for full speech)

In this SCS-themed roundtable, Dr. Wu also exchanged his ideas with the other attendees on crisis management and order construction in the South China Sea. The attendees include the Minister of Defence of the Republic of Singapore Ng Eng Hen, and the Minister of Defence of Malaysia Mohamad Sabu, among others.

Dr. Wu Shicun delivered a statement in the SCS-themed roundtable

Attendees of the SCS-themed roundtable 

Dr. Wu attended various MSC 2020 events including roundtables on health security and Arctic security, panel discussions on China’s Engagement in Multilateral Organizations and Digital Sovereignty in a (Post-)Westphalian World, lunch discussions on Building Societal Resilience in the European Neighborhoods and Europe’s Place in an Asian Century, a sematic dinner on the US-China Relations, and a Townhall discussion on Coronavirus Outbreak, etc.

Sematic Dinner: The US-China Cold War. Myth or Reality?

Attendees of Sematic Dinner: The US-China Cold War. Myth or Reality?

The MSC 2020 included main program, dozens of official side events as well as thousands of bilateral and multilateral meetings, focusing on preeminent crises and future security challenges around the world. A focal point at the conference was the role of the Western alliance, liberal values and multilateralism in the current geopolitical landscape. As China and the international community work together to combat the novel coronavirus epidemic, global health safety was one of the focuses of the conference.

The conference brought together hundreds of senior leaders and thinkers from politics, international organizations, business, and civil society, including more than 30 heads of government and heads of state, as well as nearly 100 cabinet ministers. Among the participants were French President Emmanuel Macron, Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Chancellor of Austria Sebastian Kurz, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Iran Mohammed Javad Zarif, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.

Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi attended the conference and delivered a speech. He responded to the concerns of the international community, and introduced China's efforts and effectiveness in combating the novel coronavirus epidemic. He also shared China's perspectives on global challenges, multilateralism, and international cooperation.

Dr. Wu met with Ambassador Wolfgang Ischinger during the conference.