President,

I welcome Prime Minister Mitsotakis presiding over this meeting. I thank Mr. Rattray, Mr. Zakaria, and Mr. Bletsas for their briefings.

Currently, emerging technologies such as AI, low Earth orbit constellations, and unmanned systems are developing rapidly, showing broad application prospects in empowering maritime activities, developing the blue economy, and maintaining maritime security. At the same time, the misuse and abuse of emerging technologies, together with the growing governance deficit, pose new risks and challenges to maritime security. The international community should strengthen solidarity and cooperation, give equal weight to development and security, and ensure that emerging technologies better serve maritime security and people's well-being. I wish to emphasize four points.

First, we must uphold technology for good and promote its peaceful use. All countries should uphold a people-centered approach and guide emerging technologies to develop for good and to benefit humanity. We must make comprehensive use of technological tools to enhance maritime situational awareness, early warning, and emergency response capabilities, thereby supporting maritime law enforcement, search and rescue, and disaster prevention and mitigation, and more effectively combating maritime crimes such as piracy, terrorism, arms and drug smuggling, and human trafficking. We must strengthen technical risk assessment and regulatory frameworks to prevent terrorist forces and criminal groups from abusing emerging technologies, guard against cyberattacks, data breaches, and loss of control over autonomous systems, and ensure that emerging technologies remain safe, reliable, and controllable at all times.

Second, we must strengthen dialogue and consultation and resolve hotspot issues. In recent years, some regional conflicts have dragged on and escalated, triggering tensions in surrounding waters and international waterways, and undermining global shipping security and supply chain stability. The parties concerned should uphold the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative, and sustainable security, actively engage in dialogue and consultation, resolve disputes through diplomatic channels, and promote the early realization of lasting peace in the region. Regarding the military application of emerging technologies, all parties must exercise great caution, strictly abide by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and relevant international law, oppose any attacks against civilians and civilian objects, and avoid the abuse of technology that leads to humanitarian risks and the escalation of conflicts.

Third, we must advocate openness and win-win cooperation and ensure fairness and inclusiveness. The development and progress of emerging technologies cannot be separated from international exchange and cooperation, and their security safeguards also need to be built by all countries together. We need to increase financial, technological, and capacity-building support for developing countries, promote equitable access to emerging technologies for people in all countries, and bridge the digital-intelligence divide and the development divide. We must support multilateral institutions such as the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in playing a coordinating role, strengthen information sharing and standards alignment, and deepen global cooperation in maritime security. We must jointly foster an open, inclusive, beneficial, and non-discriminatory environment for technological development, avoid overstretching the concept of national security in the field of technology, and oppose efforts to incite bloc confrontation or force countries to take sides.

Fourth, we must uphold the international rule of law and improve global governance. The UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), together with relevant international treaties and customary international law, jointly constitutes the foundation of the modern international maritime order. All countries must interpret and apply the Convention fully, accurately, and in good faith, and put an end to selective application and double standards. The important principles embodied in the Convention, such as peaceful use, international cooperation, and inclusive development, provide significant guidance for the application of emerging technologies in the maritime domain. China supports the UN in playing an active role in improving global governance in emerging technologies and the oceans, and in fully safeguarding the equal rights of developing countries to participate in the formulation of international rules.

President,

China is a major contributor to global technological progress and a staunch defender of the international rule of law at sea. China is deeply engaged in the UN Ocean Decade and supports enhanced international cooperation in marine scientific research. To date, China has provided marine disaster prevention and mitigation early warning services to more than 130 countries, put the Mazu intelligent meteorological early warning solution to use in 30 countries, and trained more than 100,000 marine professionals from over 50 developing countries. China has initiated the Global Sustainable Maritime Innovation Cooperation Framework at the IMO to support capacity building of developing countries and enhance global innovation and collaboration. We are ready to work with the international community to harness emerging technologies to safeguard maritime security, empower and enhance global development, and jointly build a prosperous world with tranquil seas.

Thank you, President.