US President Barack Obama said on November 21 that countries should stop building artificial islands and militarising their claims in the East Sea.

"For the sake of regional stability, the claimants should halt reclamation, construction and militarisation of disputed areas," Obama told a meeting with leaders of the 10 Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) member countries.

He also commended ASEAN for working to create a Code of Conduct in the East Sea, including the peaceful resolution of disputes, and freedom of navigation and aviation.

On October 29, answering reporters’ queries on Vietnam’s response to the US ships’ recent voyage near a number of geological structure of the Truong Sa (Spratly) islands of Vietnam, Foreign Ministry spokesman Le Hai Binh said that as a state with sovereignty over the Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spartly) archipelagos in the East Sea and a member of the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), Vietnam has continuously respected the freedom of navigation and aviation in the East Sea on basis of the relevant provisions of the convention, and in accordance with the regulations of coastal states.

Vietnam calls for parties involved to contribute to the maintenance of peace, stability, security, and navigation and aviation safety in the East Sea on the basis of international law, including the UNCLOS and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), he stated.

VNA