China's Blue Sea 2020 Initiatives.
                     China's Blue Sea 2020 
Initiatives
Introduction
• In a joint statement issued on April 1, China's Ministry of Natural Resources, Ministry of Ecology and 
Climate, Ministry of Transport, and China Coast Guard declared the beginning of an eight-month long 
"Bihai 2020" initiative (or "Blue Sea 2020")
Source: Pixabay
Important Dates
• The Bihai 2020 initiative, stipulated to last from April 1 to November 30, is Beijing 's latest maritime law 
enforcement initiative to improve marine environmental protection. 
Source: Pixabay
Focus Areas
1. Marine engineering construction
2. Offshore oil exploration
3. Dumping of marine waste
4. Shipping and related operations
5. Sea sand mining and transportation
6. Marine protected area
7. Land-based pollution;
8. Marine ecological environment.
Source: Pixabay
The Original Target
• In eight areas, including marine and coastal infrastructure development, offshore oil exploration and 
extraction, marine disposal, and sea sand mining and transportation, the campaign will address 
violations of laws and regulations. 
• Any illegal activity that causes pollution and harm to the marine ecological ecosystem will be 
significantly cracked down to advance efforts on pollution by the government. 
Source: Pixabay
Hidden Truth
• On the surface, the plan seems to be planned primarily to enhance marine environmental safety. 
• However, as noted in the joint statement, coastal and sea patrols, as well as remote surveillance 
capabilities, will entail law enforcement operations carried out under the initiative. 
Source: Pixabay
The Worry
• This raises a troubling possibility that Beijing might use the initiative as yet another excuse for Chinese 
law enforcement vessels' expanded presence in the disputed South China Sea.
Source: South China Morning Post
Innocence or Strategy? 
• It is important to note that a strong distinction between conventional and non-traditional maritime 
security concerns is often difficult to discern. One perfect example is illegal, unreported, and 
unregulated (IUU) fishing. 
• While IUU fishing is often categorized as an issue of non-traditional security, the right to fish resources 
within the exclusive economic zone ( EEZ) of an individual country is closely linked to the question of 
sovereignty, which is a traditional security issue.
Source: Observer Research Foundation
Geographical Scope
• The exact geographic scope of the Bihai 2020 initiative remains, of course, currently ambiguous. 
• The joint statement provides no hint that the law enforcement operations will only be carried out 
within the territorial waters of China or will have a broader scope in the contested South China Sea. 
Source: The Atlantic
Unilateral Enforcement
• Nevertheless, one should not overlook the possibility of the Bihai 2020 initiative turning into another of 
Beijing 's unilateral enforcement initiatives in the disputed waters, as in the case of China's annual South 
China Sea fishing moratorium.
Source: The NY Times
Conclusion
• Were part of China 's broader strategy, these aggressive acts aimed at maintaining de facto power and 
legitimizing its claims in the disputed waters. 
• Southeast Asian countries should concentrate more on the China’s Blue Sea 2020 initiative before it 
becomes yet another source of conflict.
Source: Council of Foreign Relations