China has joined Chile and Belgium in competing to host the secretariat of the High Seas Treaty. The landmark UN agreement, which entered into force earlier this month, will govern the parts of the ocean located beyond national jurisdictions.
China wants the city of Xiamen, on its south-east coast in the province of Fujian, to become the seat of the secretariat.
Li Shuo, who directs the Asia Society Policy Institute’s China Climate Hub, tells Dialogue Earth the bid “marks a significant escalation in China’s engagement with the treaty and with global governance more broadly”. It shows Beijing hopes “to play a more active role in shaping international rules and enhancing its global discourse power”, he adds.
A number of experts say the move is particularly significant at a time when the US is withdrawing from…
