On 30 April 2019, the Communist Youth League Committee of Haikou Maritime Court dispatched 40 some young officers to China (Hainan) Museum of the South China Sea for a tour and the ceremony for the donation of judgments passed by the court in cases involving the South China Sea.

At the ceremony, Xin Lixue, curator of the museum, warmly welcomed and thanked the young officers from the court, and introduced the purpose, history, structure and collections of the museum.

Cai Binhang, member of the judicial committee of Haikou Maritime Court, gave basic information about the court including its functions, jurisdiction, types of cases entertained, and staffing. He pointed out that ever since its founding the court had been paying high attention to the trial of cases involving the South China Sea, and had duly and properly tried a large number of civil, commercial and administrative cases involving the South China Sea. The court had set up its Sansha Division on Yongxing Island in 2014. Since the release of the keynote speech made by General Secretary Xi Jinping on 13 April, Haikou Maritime Court had made multiple efforts to safeguard its jurisdiction over China’s jurisdictional waters. For example, the court had dispatched two judges and a people’s assessor onto a patrol vessel of China Coast Guard for a voyage of over 2,000 nautical miles covering the waters of the South China Sea, during which they conducted offshore circuit trials, legal awareness promotion, and researches. The court subsequently issued the Work Mechanisms of Haikou Maritime Court for Offshore Circuit Courts and Island Tribunals, set up an offshore circuit court and an island tribunal respectively on the petrol vessel “China Marine Surveillance 2166” and Jinqing Island, Xisha. These moves strengthened the effective jurisdiction over the waters of the South China Sea.

The court and the museum then signed an Agreement on Donation of Judgments in Relation to the South China Sea. Haikou Maritime Court had meticulously selected five judgments rendered in cases involving the South China Sea, of which Case (2015) QHFSCZ No. 220 had been rated among the top ten cases of the court in 2018. Each of the five judgments had specified that the case took place in the waters or on the islands of the South China Sea, and served as strong evidence of China’s exercise of jurisdiction over the South China Sea.

After the ceremony, the young officers did a guided tour of the museum. In the Culture and History Hall, they appreciated underwater cultural relics ever found in the South China Sea, relics from the Maritime Silk Road, relics associated with the South China Sea, specimens of marine organisms and minerals, ancient and modern maritime vessels made at home and aboard, exported porcelain wares and other historic and cultural items. This gave them a glimpse into the long history of Chinese development in the South China Sea as well as its rich culture and abundant natural resources. In the hall exhibiting the Huaguangjiao One ancient shipwreck, they had a taste of the glory of the ancient Maritime Silk Road by viewing the unearthed porcelain objects, restored scenarios, art displays and multimedia presentations. In the Underwater Archaeology Hall, they learnt about the major measures taken by China to protect the cultural relics of South China Sea, promote cultural exchanges between countries and regions along the Maritime Silk Road, and explore and utilize the marine resources. During the tour, the young officers were amazed by the vastness and abundance of the South China Sea, took pride in our ancestor’s determined spirit in sailing across the vast waters, and were deeply touched by the martyrs who fought against foreign invaders to protect our territory.

At the end of the tour, the young officers reviewed the oath they had taken to be admitted to the Communist Youth League against the backdrop of Huaguangjiao One shipwreck model.