Seminar on US-Japan ties and Southeast Asia

This view was shared by most scholars at the third seminar on US-Japan relations and Southeast Asia Dialogue held at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, Singapore on June 12-13.

The event was attended by scholars from key research institutes of the US, Japan and some Southeast Asian countries.

The main purpose of the seminar was to review and give a comprehensive evaluation of new security developments in the region, including the East Sea issue, thereby making policy recommendations to leaders of the countries concerned, in order to ensure a better environment of security, peace and stability in the region.

Vietnamese delegates attending the seminar were led by PhD Hoang Anh Tuan, Director of the Institute for Foreign Policy and Strategic Studies.

At the meeting, most scholars agreed that the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is a powerful entity in all angles, playing a major role and having a great impact in Southeast Asia, East Asia, as well as in the world.

For the US, since President Barack Obama took office, ASEAN become a key strategic priority and is an important pillar in the strategy to rebalance towards the Asia-Pacific region.

For Japan, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe considers Southeast Asia a strategic priority in terms of economics, diplomacy and national security. In particular, Abe’s visit to 10 ASEAN countries in the first year in power is unprecedented.

However, many scholars expressed concern about new security developments in Southeast Asia, especially China’s attitude and aggressive actions in dealing with territorial disputes with neighbours, ignorance of rules of international law and threat to use of force.

This requires ASEAN to reinforce greater unity and improve cooperation mechanisms in which ASEAN plays a central role which should be strengthened.

The participants agreed that international law, the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) must be a main platform in the management of territorial disputes in the East Sea.

Dr Hoang Anh Tuan updated foreign delegates about the recent developments in the East Sea after China illegally put down its oil rig Haiyang Shiyou-981 deep inside Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf.

Tuan focused on analyzing the multifaceted impact both immediate and long-term on regional security, the future of ASEAN which is seen as an entity, playing a central role in dealing with regional security problems, as well as the impacts on regional peace and stability and the legitimate interests of concerned parities.

On that basis, the countries inside and outside the region need to raise a stronger voice and launch unified actions to force China to curb its actions, unconditionally withdraw its oil rig from Vietnam’s waters, comply with international law and UNCLOS, and work together with ASEAN countries on achieving a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) as soon as possible.