Behind the race to host the high seas treaty

She was there to persuade other countries to back China’s bid to establish the headquarters of the high seas treaty in the coastal city of Xiamen. The contest will demonstrate whether the world is willing to shift marine governance away from its traditional centres of power, such as Europe and North America. A treaty secretariat is an administrative body that assists member states with implementation. A 2011 comparative study of treaty secretariats by Pallavi Kishore indicates the power these bodies can have. Li says this might be due to China’s mixed ocean governance reputation on the world stage.