The report “Legal Assessment of the United States' ' Freedom of Navigation'" initiated by the China Institute for Marine Affairs under the Ministry of Natural Resources of China provides a legal basis and guarantee for China's rights protection actions in the South China Sea, Zheng Zhihua, an associate professor at the Japan Research Center of Shanghai Jiao Tong University and head of the East Asia Maritime Policy Project, told China News Network in a recent interview.

Zheng pointed out that regional peace and stability are the common aspiration of the vast majority of countries. However, he warned that the Trump administration might increase so-called “freedom of navigation” operations in the future. (Feng Xiaoyan)