>> US Senate calls for peaceful resolution to East Sea disputes
>> Vietnamese lawyers oppose China’s violation of sovereignty

Professor. Dr. Nguyen Hong Thao, an expert on land and maritime border issues, emphasized this in an interview with our reporter.

Reporter: Is it true that China has violated Vietnam’s sovereignty by cutting the cables of Vietnam’s exploration ships Viking II and Binh Minh?

Prof. Thao: The two recent incidents occurred in Vietnam’s continental shelf and 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zones.

According to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLO 1982), Every State has the right to establish the breadth of its territorial sea up to a limit not exceeding 12 nautical miles, measured from baselines; a 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone and continental shelf, the outer limit of the continental shelf shall not exceed 350 nautical miles from the baselines from which the breadth of the territorial sea is measured.

Reporter: What is behind China’s purpose of deliberately turning a non-disputed area into a disputed one?

Prof. Thao: In my opinion, this is part of China’s strategy to monopolise the East Sea, prevent the intervention of the US and some other countries, and pave the way for the Chinese Navy’s blue ocean strategy.

Reporter: Do you agree with the spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and international scholars and experts that the so-called “nine-dash line” claimed by China is groundless?

Prof. Thao: I think that no scholars and experts have accepted the nine-dash, or U-shaped line which China firstly presented to the United Nations in 2009.

Right after it was presented, related countries such as Vietnam, Malaysia, and the Philippines strongly opposed it. Even the US, Indonesia and other countries could not accept it. China has never had any clear explanation for what it claims to be a nine-dash line while Chinese scholars have tried to prove it in different ways.

China’s ambiguous claim concerns not only neighbouring countries but also other countries inside and outside its so-called “nine-dash” line. This means 100 percent of the East Sea.

Reporter: China has criticized Vietnam for internationalizing the issue and said that it wants to settle it bilaterally. What is the exact meaning of its recent actions?

Prof. Thao: The East Sea issues is one of international magnitude as it connects the Pacific and the Indian Oceans. It is also in the centre of the economically busy Asia-Pacific region. It is a shared sea region for surrounding countries which have the maritime and aviation freedom. It benefits not only East Sea-bound countries but also other countries in the world.

Therefore, it is unreasonable to say that Vietnam has internationalized the issues. In fact, it is China’s recent actions that have complicated the situation and drawn the attention of the international community.

Reporter: What do you think about the State President and Prime Minister’s sayings that although Vietnam is a small country, we always want justice and we never put ourselves at a disadvantage?

Prof. Thao: The leaders have fully expressed our country and people’s aspiration for peace and will to do the utmost to protect it. We are ready to exercise our inherent self-defence rights as regulated in the UN charter when our sovereignty is violated.

We have learnt a lot from our history and we fear no forces. However, we hope to settle the issue on a basis of respect for peace and each other’s independence and territorial integrity.

Reporter: Thank you very much!