The Argentina-Vietnam Cultural Institute (ICAV) on July 27 issued a statement in support of the recent ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, the Netherlands, related to territorial disputes in the East Sea.
Image taken by US aircraft shows that China has continue its reclamation activities in the East Sea (Source: WSJ)
The statement declared that the ruling has created a firm legal foundation for nations involved in disputes on sovereignty in the sea, and guaranteed the principles of the Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982 (UNCLOS).
It also stressed that the verdict has legal validity to all the parties involved.
Through the statement, the ICAV asked the countries involved to comply with the ruling and protect peace in accordance with international law.
It protested all actions that cause tensions in the East Sea such as increasing military personnel and equipment presence, building artificial islands, and hindering the legitimate rights of fishermen and maritime freedom.
On July 12, the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague, the Netherlands, issued its ruling on a case brought by the Philippines against China’s nine-dash line claim in the East Sea, saying China’s claims to historic rights for waters within the nine-dash line are contrary to the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
The tribunal also found no legal basis for China to claim historic rights to resources within the nine-dash line.
The country has no historic title over waters of the East Sea. At the same time, China has caused permanent and irreparable harm to the coral reef ecosystem at Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelago, the court said.
VNA