A number of thorny matters stemming from the East Sea situation relating to on-the-spot developments, military strategies and international law application were raised during an international conference held in southern Vung Tau city on November 23-24.

Delegates take photo at the conference.

Addressing the closing ceremony, Ambassador Dang Dinh Quy, Director of the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam (DAV), said the panels discussed in-depth the fresh developments in the East Sea, the military strategies used by involved parties, the implementation of international law, and the negotiations for the Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC).

There might be less major conflicts in the East Sea in the coming time and the regional security architecture is likely to face a dilemma, he predicted.

The East Sea situation could encounter with innumerable setbacks, challenges, complicated and unpredictable developments from other regions around the world, he said.

He called on the parties involved to forge ahead with multi-dimensional approaches, appreciate security forums in the region, respect one another, and follow international law.

Experts said a peaceful and stable East Sea will benefit all countries.

To that end, it is important to maintain the status quo and avoid unilateral actions in the East Sea such as militarisation or declaration of air defense identification zone.

Some raised their concerns over China’s illegal reclamation and construction of artificial islands in the East Sea as well as a possibility of installing military equipment there. Such moves could result in arms races and threaten peace, security in the region.

Participants reiterated the crucial role of the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) as a foundation to define the sovereignty and jurisdiction of countries in the East Sea.

They also discussed multinational cooperation in protecting the marine environment and navigation safety, along with search and rescue and natural resources mining and management.

For the firs time at the conference, the Young Leaders’ Programme (YLP) provided an exceptional opportunity for young researchers to share cooperation initiatives in the East Sea based on increasing mutual trust.

They confirmed their strong commitments to promoting dialogues and cooperation between young leaders of all nations across the fields, contributing to the common goal of maintaining peace, mutual benefits and prosperity in the East Sea.

The two-day workshop was jointly organised by the DAV, the Foundation for East Sea Studies (FESS) and the Vietnam Lawyers’ Association (VLA) with the participation of more than 200 local and international academics and representatives of diplomatic corps in Vietnam.

ASEAN’s central role in East Sea dispute settlement urged

An evolving sea security architecture in Asia-Pacific, especially with ASEAN’s central role, will have positive contributions to the settlement of disputes in the East Sea, said an expert on the sidelines of the seventh International Conference on the East Sea.

ASEAN, therefore, needs to reinforce its centrality and connect closely with the evolving regional architecture to contribute to maintaining peace and handling disputes and disagreements in the East Sea, Dr Nguyen Nam Duong, Deputy Director of the Strategic Research Institute of the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam noted.

The disputes in the East Sea are currently settled through the Declaration of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and a Code of Conducts in the East Sea (COC) is expected to help, according to Duong.

According to Patrick Cronin, Senior Director of the Asia-Pacific Security Programme at the Centre for a New American Security (CNAS), all countries had a responsibility to uphold international law.

The US has always highly evaluated the role of ASEAN and its member states in settling regional disputes and wished to assist the bloc in global issues, he said.

Meanwhile, Deputy Director of International Studies Institute of Fudan University of China Prof. Shen Dingli said the only way to maintain stability in the East Sea is through peace dialogues.

The seventh international conference on the East Sea is underway in the southern city of Vung Tau from November 23-24.

It is jointly held by the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam, the Foundation for East Sea Studies (FESS), and the Vietnam Lawyers Association, aiming to create a significant forum for specialists and scholars to discuss and evaluate the situation in the East Sea with a view to maintaining and protecting peace and stability in the waters.

In recent years, the East Sea situation has emerged as one of the most important security issues in East Asia.

VNA