Anna Rosario Malindog-Uy: New Quality Marine Productive Forces as a Driver of Regional Cooperation
Anna Rosario Malindog-Uy, Vice President and Director of the Asian Century Philippines Strategic Studies Institute, Secretary-General of the Association for Philippines-China Understanding, President of TechPerformance Corp., and a columnist with The Manila Times and The LOBBYiST.
ASEAN-China cooperation on the blue economy has long been closely watched, and there is clearly significant room for further collaboration. I would like to explore this issue from a new perspective by connecting it with China’s concept of “new quality productive forces”. In the marine economy, these new productive forces are emerging in innovation-led sectors such as offshore renewable energy, marine biotechnology, smart ports, digital shipping, and deep-sea equipment manufacturing. Their development could fundamentally reshape the interests of the parties concerned in the South China Sea and create a development model very different from traditional marine activities.
Traditional maritime industries centered on resource extraction or territorial expansion are often zero-sum in nature. Emerging marine industries driven by innovation are not. A fishing ground, an oil block, or a coral reef has traditionally been viewed as something that can be controlled by only one party at a time. Innovation-driven maritime industries, however, are fundamentally different in character. It may therefore be time for Southeast Asian countries and China to rethink how innovation can drive the development of marine industries. This would mark a shift toward a more industrialized model and would require a change in perspective, with greater emphasis on intellectual property, common standards, shared infrastructure, and other key elements. These new assets can be jointly developed and, in some cases, jointly owned, enabling countries to share the benefits they create. This structural difference is not a minor consideration. It is where one of the greatest opportunities for future cooperation lies.
I would broadly group the emerging marine industries driven by new quality productive forces into four areas.
The first is offshore renewable energy, including wind and tidal power. As floating solar and tidal energy gain wider application, countries such as the Philippines and Vietnam have substantial potential in this field and could benefit significantly. China is developing these technologies faster than ASEAN countries. Closer cooperation between China and regional partners on the green energy transition could therefore help strengthen energy security across the region.
The second area includes marine biotechnology, genomics, blue carbon science, and aquaculture innovation. For most countries, these sectors are still in their infancy, making them more suitable for joint research and development than for competition. With China already making progress in these fields, there is considerable room for countries to pursue joint development.
The third area is smart ports and digital shipping, including automated terminals, green shipping corridors, and common standards for customs and logistics data. These capabilities can have a significant impact on trade competitiveness.
The fourth is deep-sea equipment manufacturing, including underwater vehicles and sensors. China currently commands a highly dominant position in this segment. For all four clusters, China could consider offering greater support to ASEAN countries to help advance practical cooperation.
How, then, can the countries concerned take cooperation in these areas forward? First, joint research and development platforms should be established. ASEAN and Chinese universities and companies could work together on marine biotechnology and jointly develop offshore energy technologies under shared intellectual property arrangements. Second, port and shipping standards should be aligned so that digital systems and data can operate across the region, rather than being confined to separate national systems. Third, common marine data protocols are essential to both efficient shipping and effective environmental monitoring. Green shipping corridors also offer a practical area for cooperation. Similar initiatives are being tested elsewhere in the world and could serve as a strong starting point for ASEAN-China collaboration.
At the same time, two risks, overcapacity and debt dependency, require particular attention. As industrial cooperation expands in the South China Sea region, these risks should be carefully addressed to ensure more sustainable outcomes. This, in turn, could help ASEAN and China forge a closer and more lasting partnership.
* This article is jointly published with the authorization of the National Institute for South China Sea Studies.
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