VietNamNet Bridge – “China’s claim of the East Sea as its core interest has worried countries in the region. The US will not make concessions”, said Prof. Bronson Percival from the CAN Strategic Research Center in Virginia, USA at  in Hanoi on November 11.

 

Many workshop attendants expressed their concern over China’s nine-dotted line of the U-shape line in the East Sea.

 

Daniel Schaeffer from the Asian Research Centre 21, France, said that China’s statement of the U-shape domain is the most notable move in the region in the last two years.

 

Schaeffer said that if dialogues to solve conflicts in the East Sea do not move forward, the conflicts should be brought to international courts.

 

Prof. Bronson Percival said that the East Sea could be a permanent issue between the US-China relations. The US’ interest in the East Sea increases and decreases but its policy on the East Sea has never changed, he said.

 

Prof. Leszek Buszynski from the Centre for Strategy and Defense Research of the Australian National University said that to urge China to behave more responsibly, it is necessary to set up a group of powers to conduct big issues of the world.

 

Prof. Carlyle A. Thayer from the Australian Defense Institute forecasts that competition among countries in the region will rise in the next 3-5 years. However, it was a positive move when ASEAN and China agreed to implement the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and to negotiate the Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC).

 

Prof. Su Hao from the Beijing Institute for International Relations emphasized that China always behaves responsibly in the East Sea because it needs a peaceful environment for development.

 

He said that China has never used the term “core interest” in the East Sea in official documents. The water area inside the U-shaped line, according to Su Hao, is regarded as historical territory.

 

Director of the Vietnam Institute for International Relations Duong Van Quang said that the East Sea should be considered in three aspects. Firstly, territory and sovereignty conflicts must be solved through dialogues and direct negotiation among relevant countries, and must refrain from using violence in any circumstance. One of the most important bases for solving conflicts is the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982.

 

Secondly, the East Sea is one of the most important seas in the world so free and safe travel must be guaranteed.

 

Thirdly, the East Sea supplies a means of living to millions of people and plays a very important role in economic development of ASEAN and China so peace and stability, sustainable development and security has become the top priority in official meetings between ASEAN and China.

 

The DOC, signed in 2002, is based on this spirit but DOC is not enough. Relevant countries expect to have the COC.

 

Quang said the delegates at the workshop would discuss in depth the importance of the East Sea in the context of the changing strategic environment, recent developments in the area and their implications for regional security.

 

He also asked the delegates to discuss international legal issues involved in the disputes in the East Sea and means to promote regional co-operation.

 

Quang said that he was confident headway would be made in widening the network of international scholars and experts on the East Sea promoting studies and exchange of research findings on the issue.

 

He also expected that it would come up with sound recommendations on national policies as well as conflict prevention and settlement regimes for the region.

 

The symposium will assess the current situation in the East Sea from an interdisciplinary perspective and discuss measures to maintain peace and stability in the area.

 

Participating in the workshop are distinguished international scholars from ASEAN countries, Australia, Canada, mainland China, Chinese Taipei, India, Japan, Norway, the Republic of Korea, Russia, Sweden, the UK, and the US.

 

The first international symposium on the same topic was held in Ha Noi last year.

 

PV