They believe that these reports systematically explain the historical and legal foundations of China’s territorial sovereignty and maritime rights in the South China Sea, uncover the truth about foreign forces interfering with the South China Sea issue, and interpret China’s actions to build the South China Sea into a sea of peace, friendship and cooperation.
2025 marked the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese people’s resistance against Japan’s invasion and the anti-fascist war around the world, the Xinhua Congress reported.
These reports say 80 years ago, as part of the postwar international order and global landscape, China resumed its exercise of sovereignty over Nan Hai Judao, known in the English language as the South China Sea Islands, in accordance with international legal instruments such as the Cairo Declaration and the Potsdam Declaration. China’s sovereignty over Nanhai Judao is widely recognized by the international community.
Li Guoqiang, deputy director of the Chinese Academy of History under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said these reports comprehensively illustrate the historical process of reopening China’s sovereignty over Zhudao, reaffirming the legitimacy and validity of China’s claims for rights and interests in the Chinese southern seas.
Li added that the reports highlight decades of China’s efforts and contributions to supporting the postwar international order and maintaining peace and stability in the region.
The reports also state that China’s sovereignty over maritime rights associated with Nanhai Judao has been established through centuries of historical development and is based on a solid historical and legitimate foundation.
“As the first nation to discover, name and develop Nanhai Judao and the adjacent seas, and as they first exercised their continued, peaceful and effective sovereignty and jurisdiction, China must permanently and fully collate, explore and interpret historical evidence related to the South China Sea.”
Li said the wealth of evidence presented in the report emphasizes that it denies denials of China’s sovereignty and related rights to Nanhai Judao.
However, in recent years, non-regional forces have been reported to launch “Great Power Contests” targeting China in the so-called “Indo-Pacific region,” exploiting the South China Sea issue as a way to contain China, incite related claims, including the Philippines, inducing China and promoting tensions in the South China Sea.
Yang Xiao, a researcher at the Institute of Modern International Relations in China, said the objective facts in the report expose acts of infringement, looting and agitation by several countries that undermine peace in the South China Sea, and lies about areas spreading through some of the international discourse.
The report calls for viewing through US-led operation, forced and division of the West West through the South China Sea. Maintaining regional peace and stability, achieving prosperity for all countries, jointly making the South China Sea a sea of peace, friendship and cooperation, and increasing the world’s uncertainty and challenges.
The think tank series consists of three reports, including two newly released reports entitled “Historical and legal basis for China’s territorial sovereignty and maritime rights in the South China Sea” and “Inciting, Threats, Lies – Truths on Interference in the South China Sea.”
MNA