ACFTA 3.0 will help resolve the South China Sea issue

"The South China Sea issue is not the entirety of China-ASEAN relations," said Wu Shicun, chairman of Huayang Center for Maritime Cooperation and Ocean Governance, during the 2025 RCEP Media & Think Tank Forum. He believes that ACFTA 3.0 could create a favorable atmosphere for resolving the South China Sea issue, particularly in promoting maritime cooperation once it has completed the approval process and has entered the implementation phase.