(Cambridge, October 20, 2015) – In recent conference on South China Sea disputes held at Harvard Faculty Club on October 16, Boston Global Forum has just proposed an initiative solution to keep peace and security in the South China Sea: establishment of the Pacific Security Alliance (PSA).
Boston Global Forum’s conference, “Dangerous Situation and Solutions for Peace and Security in the South China Sea”, held at Harvard Faculty Club on October 16, 2015
The PSA is proposed in the Boston Global Forum’s report, “Chinese Disputes in the South China Sea: Risks and Solutions for the Asia-Pacific”, which was mentioned by Professor Thomas Patterson, the co-founder of Boston Global Forum during the conference.
China’s influence-seeking efforts in the South China Sea are obvious. It uses its most advanced military techniques in support of these activities, and the resulting instability extends beyond Southeast Asia. China’s investment in cyber-weapon, artificial intelligence, drones, naval vessels, and its shrinking of Asian military distances through long-range weaponry, and most noteworthy, the construction of artificial island military air fields are threatening regional stability.
Governor Michael Dukakis, Chairman & Co-Founder, Boston Global Forum, moderates the discussion.
Concluding the discussion, Governor Michael Dukakis –Chairman of Boston Global Forum made the remarks:
Situation in Spratlys is becoming more serious with China’s violations of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) with land reclamation that includes turning reefs and atolls into artificial islands and, and posing a high potential of military clash in the Spratly Islands.
All the countries in the South China Sea do not have enough power to stop China from violating the terms of UNCLOS. United Nations also cannot stop China, as well. The International Court takes a long time and there is still no institution in the world with enough power to enforce decisions of the International Court.
To resolve this dangerous situation by applying the Framework for Peace and Security in the Pacific, Boston Global Forum propose an initiative of establishing the Pacific Security Alliance (PSA) to maintain peace and security in the Pacific, with its focus on the South China Sea. The Alliance will set up norms, rules and regulations to keep peace and security in the South China Sea; join patrols in the region and stop all actions violating UNCLOS and international law in the region immediately. As the first step, the Alliance should include the United States, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Philippines, Vietnam, and invite China to join it if China accepts the rules, and regulations of the Pacific Security Alliance (PSA).
The Boston Global Forums’s conference was moderated by Governor Dukakis and attracted participation of several leading experts in international relations and South China Sea, who are scholars, analysts, policymakers, journalists.
Keynote speech by David E. Sanger, Chief Washington correspondent, The New York Times; Senior Fellow, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs; Adjunct Lecturer in Public Policy, Harvard Kennedy School
The notable experts include Harvard’s professor Joseph Nye and Thomas Patterson; Bonnie Glaser, CSIS’s senior adviser for Asia; David Sanger, Chief Washington correspondent, The New York Times; Bill Hayton, BBC World News TV journalist and author of “ South China Sea: The Struggle for Power in Asia”; Professor Sean P. Henseler, Director of Operations for Operational Level Programs at U.S. Naval War College, Newport, RI; and Brent Colburn, the former assistant to the U.S. Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs.