Peace, stability, security and safety of navigation in the East Sea are expectations and common interests of the countries in the region and beyond, said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Le Hai Binh at a regular press briefing in Hanoi on May 14.

At the press briefing, Binh announced Vietnam’s upcoming external activities and responded to matters of public concern.

In reply to reporters’ questions about Vietnam's response to the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations’ hearing, Binh said, “The parties concerned should settle disputes by peaceful means in accordance with international law, particularly the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), strictly comply with the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) towards building a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC).

In this spirit, Vietnam welcomes every effort by the international community, including the US in maintaining peace, stability, cooperation and development in the East Sea. The country supports the role of ASEAN and its efforts to adhere to the DOC towards formulating a COC, the official said.

Earlier, the US Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs held a hearing on measures to protect US interests in the East Sea and East China Sea in the presence of Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Russel and Assistant Defence Secretary David Shear.

The focus of the hearing was primarily on actions and conduct of China in the East Sea and East China Sea which US congressmen and senior officials described as  provocative acts destabilizing the region and negatively affecting the US’ national security interests.

VOV