During Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning’s Regular Press Conference on July 7, 2026, a reporter from Shenzhen TV asked: This year marks the 30th anniversary of China’s ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. How does China see the Convention’s role? What was China’s contribution to it?

Mao Ning: The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) is a key outcome of the third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea held between 1973 and 1982. The Convention, along with other international treaties and customary international law, constitutes the basic legal framework of modern international maritime law. Its entry into force and implementation is conducive to maintaining a fair and just international maritime order and fostering a more just and equitable global governance system.

The UNCLOS negotiations were the first major international legislative process China took part in after the restoration of its lawful seat at the United Nations. China participated in the entire process of the third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea and contributed along with fellow developing countries to the birth of the Convention. China was one of the first countries that signed UNCLOS and became a State Party on July 7, 1996.

Over the past 30 years, China has exercised its rights and fulfilled its obligations under the Convention in good faith. It has been a strong advocate for the spirit of multilateralism embodied by the Convention and has supported the effective operation of the three international institutions established in accordance with UNCLOS. It has also worked together with various parties to safeguard maritime peace and security, promote sustainable development of the ocean, strengthen marine scientific research and environmental protection, and facilitate exchange and cooperation in maritime affairs. Through these efforts, China has played its part in improving global maritime governance and advancing the welfare of all humanity.