The „Our Common Home“ roundtable, held in Boao, Hainan Island, China, on 28 March 2026, was part of the Boao Forum's Asia sub-forum focusing on the South China Sea and media series. The event was jointly organized by China Media Group, the National Institute for South China Sea Studies (NISCSS) and the Huayang Center for Maritime Cooperation and Ocean Governance.
Discussion on a shared future for the oceans
The „Our Common Home“ roundtable brought together more than ten Chinese and international experts from countries such as China, the UK, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Singapore, both in person and online.
Discussions focused on ocean governance, maritime security and the blue economy, addressing challenges, solutions and future directions for the development of humanity's common space.
Participants pointed out that growing geopolitical tensions in the world are increasingly affecting maritime security and ocean governance. Regional stability and the international maritime order are thus facing new challenges.
In this context, the concept of a maritime community with a shared future is becoming increasingly relevant and practical.
According to Wu Shicuna, Chairman of the Huayang Center and also Chairman of the NISCSS, the South China Sea can be a testing ground for building such a community - based on regional stability and prosperity, peace, environmental protection and the involvement of the younger generation.
British expert Martin Jacques praised the Chinese government's role in combating climate change and protecting the marine environment. He noted that while the United States was withdrawing from some cooperation mechanisms, China remained active in these activities.
Rommel Banlaoi, President of the Philippine Society for International Security Studies, stressed that the South China Sea has long been a common home for the surrounding countries. However, he said, outside interference had undermined regional stability and the emphasis should be on cooperation and peace, not confrontation.
Zhou Jian, a former representative of the Chinese Foreign Ministry's Department of Borders and Ocean Affairs, said it was positive that countries in the region were taking a unified stance to protect common security and promote development through rules, not unilateral actions.
Experts agreed that the ocean should not be a space for dividing the world, but a common home for humanity that requires all countries to work together.
Veronica S. Saraswati from Indonesia, commended the maritime cooperation between China and Indonesia, which, through intergovernmental mechanisms, has yielded concrete results in the areas of fisheries, ports and environmental protection.
Peter T.C. Chang from Malaysia, said that China's vision of a maritime community with a shared future resonates in Southeast Asian countries. He said China has an important role to play in the protection of the marine environment and sustainable development of fisheries.
Researcher Yan Yan from NISCSS, added that this vision represents a Chinese solution that can help turn the oceans into a „blue home“ managed collectively by all humanity.
The programme also included the International Maritime Communication Symposium 2026, where representatives of Chinese institutions, universities and media discussed the production of documents on the South China Sea and improving the quality of international communication on maritime issues.
The Boao Forum's Asia sub-forum on the South China Sea and the „Our Common Home“ roundtable brought together nearly 200 experts, academics and industry representatives from more than 20 countries and regions to discuss the maritime order in the context of global change and contribute to promoting international cooperation on oceans.
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