Beijing Xiangshan Forum (BXF) celebrated 20 years in 2026. This year’s forum brought together leaders of defense departments and armed forces from over 100 countries, as well as representatives from international organizations, think tanks, academic institutions and renowned academics and scholars. Under the theme “Build Consensus on Stability, advance Security Governance Together”, participants engaged in dialogue and exchanges to promote communication within the international community, enhance mutual trust, dispel misgivings and contributed to ideas and expertise to work toward the realization of common security and lasting peace. 

Admiral Jayanath Colombage, Non-resident Senior Fellow of Hong Kong Research Center for Asian Studies, participated in this forum and delivered a talk titled “Securing the Seas: Maritime Governance and Regional Stability in the Indian Ocean in a Changing Global Order” as part of the session on “Sea Lane Security and Maritime Security Governance”. 

Admiral highlighted that maritime security governance is closely linked to global economic stability and prosperity, supply chain resilience. Against the backdrop of intensifying geopolitical competition, hegemonic practices, and the resurgence of unilateralism on the international political stage, power politics, regional conflicts, and non-traditional security threats such as piracy and terrorism have posed unprecedented challenges to the existing maritime security governance system. 

The Strait of Hormuz crisis triggered by the US and Israeli military actions against Iran and its repercussions for the global energy security, and the takeover of Bab-el-Mande region by Houthi rebel forces in Yemen have underscored the severe risks of disorder currently facing maritime governance at both the global and regional levels. The future of the Ocean will ultimately depend on whether we can manage the tension between competition and cooperation. 

Major powers can compete economically while protecting sea lanes. They can have different strategic partnerships while sharing maritime information. This is the essence of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable maritime security as conceptualized in the Global Security Initiative.

Admiral finally stated that the security of the Oceans cannot be achieved through naval power alone. It requires effective maritime governance, respect for international law, shared maritime domain awareness, resilient sea lanes, and sustained regional cooperation. It is necessary to unite the voice of global south in international forums to maintain the law and order at sea which could facilitate freedom of maritime commerce. 

Global south should not listen to the major powers who are not respecting the international order and law. The countries in the global south should take matters into its own hands as the destiny of theme depends on the freedom of ocean trade.