Officials and experts said Thursday in Haikou that countries around the South China Sea should join their forces to ensure the safety of marine transportation in the area, which has been frequently molested by pirates and terrorists.

The International Symposium on Marine Safety in the South China Sea opened Thursday in this capital of south China's Hainan Province, drawing representatives from the United Nations, International Maritime Court, China Maritime Safety Administration and maritime departments in the United States, Britain, Canada, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

Topics on the agenda of the two-day event cover navigation routes disturbed by pirates and terrorists, armed trafficking and cross-border crimes that threaten the stability in the region.

"All neighbors near the Malacca Straits should shoulder the responsibility of maintaining the safety of marine transportation in the sea causeway," said Mat Taib Bin Yasin, a senior researcher with the Malaysia marine affairs institute.

Xu Guoyi, deputy director of the China Maritime Safety Administration, told experts to the meeting that China expects to launch joint drills for marine rescue and emergency pollution control with neighbors in the South China Sea region, which will help improve regional safety cooperation mechanism in order to ensure navigation safety and environmental protection in the region.

He said that the South China Sea region has become a major sea route for international trade and an important passageway for energy transportation, with China's fast economic development and the economic recovery in Southeast Asian countries.

"Cooperation in dealing with maritime affairs in the South China Sea region complies with the interests of all parties in the region," he said.

Source: Xinhua