In light of maritime disputes with neighbouring countries and the lack of trust and confidence these conflicts have engendered, the head of a top Chinese think tank has called for a strategy of unilateral opening-up in the marine sector to address the issue head-on.
Chi Fulin, president of the Hainan-based China Institute for Reform and Development, proffered the strategy as a means of rapprochement with Southeast Asian countries, many of which dispute China’s claims over the South China Sea.
