Call for peace, stability in East Sea repeated at int’l workshop

The event attracted nearly 100 scholars and researchers from institutes and universities in Vietnam, the US, Australia, Japan, the Philippines, the Republic of Korea and India. 

Nearly 30 speeches delivered at three discussion panels focused on the legal status of islands and rocks in international law, sovereignty disputes over Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagos, and The Hague tribunal’s ruling on the Philippines’ lawsuit against China. 

They stressed the importance of free navigation and overflight in line with international law in the East Sea to both regional countries and others around the world. 

They also reiterated the principle of resolving international disputes by peaceful means on the basis of international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and the application of this principle in dealing with East Sea-related disputes. 

Many participants applauded the final and binding verdict issued by The Hague tribunal on July 12, adding that the ruling will help narrow disputed areas and bring about new opportunities for solving the disputes. 

Most also shared the view on ASEAN’s central role in building the region’s security architecture and promoting diplomatic and legal processes to settle East Sea disputes in conformity with Article 33 of the UN Charter. 

The delegates also called for the full implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea, and efforts to expeditiously finilise a code of conduct in order to open up more opportunities for peace and stability there. 

The workshop was organised by Pham Van Dong University and Nha Trang University. 

At the event, an exhibition was also held to provide historical evidence testifying to Vietnam’s sovereignty over Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagos.