High Seas Treaty a chance for China to lead on marine conservation

FPI Fellow James Borton writes that the forthcoming entry into force of the High Seas Treaty, a landmark United Nations agreement establishing the first legally binding framework to protect marine biodiversity in international waters, represents a pivotal shift in how ocean governance is conceptualized and contested.

Far from being merely an environmental milestone, the treaty opens a strategic opportunity for China to assert leadership not only through naval power and economic influence but through multilateral environmental governance, particularly as the United States remains outside the agreement’s initial enforceable regime.

Beijing’s ratification aligns with its growing investments in marine science, remote sensing, and deep-sea technology, positioning it to help define the rules for managing activities from industrial fishing to seabed resource extraction in areas beyond national jurisdiction. James Borton makes it clear in the article that how China navigates this new legal architecture will reshape not only environmental outcomes but also broader geopolitical legitimacy.

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