摘要：Beautiful, bountiful and vibrant, the South China Sea has sustained millions along its coasts for thousands of years.

By Xin Ping

Beautiful, bountiful and vibrant, the South China Sea has sustained millions along its coasts for thousands of years.

Yet in recent years, its tranquility has been increasingly overshadowed by rumors and even lies. This distorted narrative, though rejected by almost all regional countries, describes the situation onthe azure sea as tense and turbulent, almost like a powder keg ready to explode.

But is this the reality? It's time to tear apart the cocoon of lies and restore the truth.

A false information cocoon

For centuries, the South China Sea has served as a vital artery for trade and prosperity, underpinning Asia's rapid economic rise. Southeast Asia's sustained growth owes much to the unimpeded flow of maritime traffic in these waters.

However, some people, especially some Western political figures, consistently ignore this fundamental reality. They exaggeratetensions and the possibility of conflicts, framing China's lawful actions to safeguard sovereignty as "expansionism" while downplaying dangerous provocations spurred by external forces. They call for "peace" and "restraint" on global stages yet seize every opportunity to instigate tension and inflame friction.

This externally-driven narrativeof conflictcasts dark clouds over the South China Sea – a vital lifeline for many surrounding nations, and threatens the hard-won consensus among regional countries.

The fact is, the South China Sea remains one of the world's freest, safest and most open seasin terms of navigation and overflight. Statistics show nearly 500,000 merchant vessels traverse it annually, carrying approximately 40 percent of global trade, and millions of civilian flights cross its skies. It is the world's busiest maritime and aerial corridor.

Why the distortion?

The goal is clear: to associate the South China Sea with "dispute" and "conflict" whenever it is mentioned and exploit the media and public opinion, thereby justifying external intervention in the region.

Another unsurprising fact is that the South China Sea was never an issue until the United States, withits habitual meddling and hegemonic maneuvering, launched the so-called freedom of navigation operations.

For every dispute on the Sea, external forces draft the script, Western media livestream the drama, and the plot invariably smears China. The screenwriters may never tire of popping champagne for every successful play, but people in the region have had enough of such repeated farce.

Polls show more than 60 percent of people in the region fear non-regional interference would destabilizethe area, while nearly 70 percent view China's relations with regional countries positively.

Sending out the region's own voice

Essentially, the false narrative insists that the South China Sea cannot be managed by China and Association of Southeast Asian Nations(ASEAN)countries alone, implying the need for outside intervention.

However, facts prove that China and ASEAN countries are fully capable of resolving differences independently. In 2002, China and ASEAN countries signed the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, affirming the fundamentalprinciple that disputes should be resolved through negotiation and consultation by partiesdirectly concerned. In 2025, the third reading of the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea was completed, marking a significant step toward a more substantive and efficient regional framework that is based on consensus.

Furthermore, China has repeatedly stated its willingness to take the lead in signing the Protocol to the Southeast Asia nuclear weapon-free zone, reinforcing its commitments to regional security and long-term, stable development.

Over the past two decades, China has established multi-level, comprehensive bilateral maritime dialogue mechanisms with Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines and others, effectively managing sporadic frictions and demonstrating the wisdom of China and regional countries in handling differences.

These joint efforts of China and ASEAN countries shall not and will not be erased by disinformation.

Lighting the beacon of peace

All across Southeast Asia, the urgent need to foster a new narrative of peace, cooperation and friendship in the South China Sea has become an undeniable consensus.

This explains the stark divide at meetingsbetween ASEAN and its partners in recent years. While some outsiders continue to make irresponsible remarks, regional countries reject these "old tricks" and have realized the importance of amplifying regional voices rather than letting non-regional players dictate the tone.

As Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto put it, "True security comes from building friendly relations between neighboring countries, and collaboration is the only way to achieve prosperity and harmony." Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim echoed that external parties should not interfere, as it complicates matters.More and more regional leaders are stepping forwardto make their point: The South China Sea should not be a stage for hegemonic manipulation or a field for false narratives.

The world has had enough wars. Those who have genuinely invested in the continued tranquility, peace and prosperity of the South China Sea should discard fearmongering, dispel disinformation and join hands to forge a new and true narrative of the South China Sea.

This is ashared aspiration of China and other regional countries. No country, large or small, insider or outsider, can stand in the way.

Xin Ping is a Beijing-based international affairs commentator.

来源：中国网一点号