Shishka Prabawaningtyas: Building Maritime Industry Cooperation Around Shared Values
Shishka Prabawaningtyas, Assistant Professor at the Paramadina Graduate School of Diplomacy at Universitas Paramadina in Indonesia. She is actively invited by the Indonesia Council of State Defense (Dewan Pertahanan Nasional) as resource person for Foreign Policy, Geopolitics, and Security’s issues since 2025, and has helped formulate several national policies.
In considering maritime industry cooperation between ASEAN and China, it is easy to lose sight of several underlying issues. Chief among them is the complexity created by the number and diversity of stakeholders involved, particularly given that ASEAN alone consists of 11 member states. From the standpoint of international relations, particular attention should be given to the magnitude of current geopolitical and international shifts, and to the ways in which these developments are reshaping the broader context of ASEAN-China relations.
The central challenge, therefore, is not simply how to develop and utilize marine resources, but how the interests of the various sides can be effectively coordinated. These are issues that will require sustained attention and effective solutions in the future. The first step in advancing cooperation in maritime industries is to define clearly what falls within the scope of the maritime industry and to assess the extent to which its development can support high-quality maritime production and economic activity.
When discussing a community with a shared future or a community of shared values, ASEAN countries and China must also identify a workable balance among their respective interests. This requires greater clarity about the extent to which ASEAN and China can be regarded as a community of economic cooperation, and about which forms of productive activity can create mutually beneficial outcomes for all stakeholders.
A renewed discussion of the maritime industry should begin with a broader understanding of what the concept encompasses. In my view, at least four dimensions need to be taken into account. The first is the market for seafood and fisheries products. China has developed into a major market and has become one of the largest sources of demand for maritime industries, marine products, and fisheries resources. The second concerns the interface between shipping development and navigational safety. As maritime transport expands, safety considerations are becoming an increasingly important part of maritime development. The third is maritime security. The continued growth of shipping has elevated the importance of maritime security in the defense industry. The fourth dimension is the blue economy, within which energy constitutes a particularly important area.
These different dimensions point to the need for diversified models of cooperation. Such cooperation may be vertical or horizontal, and priorities should be clearly identified. At the same time, any cooperative framework or platform should be designed to remain open and inclusive to all relevant parties. This principle applies across unilateral, bilateral, and multilateral forms of engagement. Creating such an environment is essential to sustaining the development of maritime industries and supporting regional economic growth.
Respect and mutual trust are equally fundamental in cooperation. Cooperation should not be understood as a zero-sum contest. The purpose of partnership is to enhance connectivity, encourage investment, and facilitate greater flows and exchanges across societies. Ensuring safe and secure navigation and transportation in the South China Sea is another critical consideration. The conflicts taking place in other regions of the world offer important lessons. They underscore the need to preserve the South China Sea as a secure environment for maritime transport and shipping. At the most fundamental level, cooperation depends on people-to-people connections. The countries concerned should therefore explore and develop ways to foster a broadly accepted framework of shared values.
* This article is jointly published with the authorization of the National Institute for South China Sea Studies.
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