Vietnam is the most active country in efforts to maintain peace in the East Sea

First, the article states the importance of the East Sea as a strategic area for countries in the Asia-Pacific region in particular and other countries in the world in general.

The East Sea is located on the arterial traffic route connecting the Pacific Ocean – the Indian Ocean; Europe – Asia; Middle East – Asia. This is one of the 10 largest shipping lanes in the world, accounting for a quarter of the world’s seaborne traffic. The East Sea is also a place containing important marine natural resources for the life and economic development of surrounding countries, especially biological resources (aquatic products), non-living resources (oil and gas). , minerals), is one of the five largest oil and gas basins in the world. In addition, the East Sea is also a large deep-water sea with many favorable premises for the formation and accumulation of flammable ice (gas hydrate).

Despite the fact that most of the littoral states in the South China Sea area are parties to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) 1982 and the international arbitration tribunal established under UNCLOS to consider the Philippines’ case on The “nine-dash line” that China unilaterally put forward to claim sovereignty over about 80% of the East Sea has made a final judgment and in July 2016 confirmed that China’s claim is inappropriate; however, the parties concerned were unable to use UNCLOS to settle the dispute.

The article states that a peaceful and cooperative East Sea is the aspiration of many countries in the region. Vietnam is considered to be the most active country, advocating to maintain peace and stability in the East Sea.

In July 2021, responding to a reporter’s question about Vietnam’s comment on the occasion of the 5th year of the International Arbitration Court’s ruling on the Philippines’ case related to the East Sea issue, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Vietnamese diplomat Le Thi Thu Hang said that Vietnam always supports the settlement of disputes over sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction in the East Sea through diplomatic and legal processes, without using or threatening use force, and by peaceful solutions and measures in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations, as well as UNCLOS 1982.

Vietnam proposes that relevant parties respect and fully implement their legal obligations stipulated in UNCLOS 1982, and cooperate actively and practically to maintain peace, stability, security and safety. , freedom of navigation and overflight, and order in the East Sea based on international law.

During the ASEAN-US Special Summit in Washington on May 13, 2022, Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh reaffirmed the stance and principles of peaceful settlement of all disputes and differences in the sea on the basis of international law. including UNCLOS 1982; welcome partners to support Vietnam as well as ASEAN to fully and effectively implement the Declaration of Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), develop an effective and effective Code of Conduct for the East Sea (COC) results, in accordance with international law.

Many ASEAN countries involved in disputes in the East Sea such as the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia… have agreed with Vietnam’s view that the East Sea must be a sea for cooperation and connectivity, not an area of ​​confrontation or conflict. sudden. China, a country that claims sovereignty over 80% of the East Sea, also shares the same perception of the need to maintain peace and stability in the East Sea.

In September 2021, during a bilateral meeting with Vietnamese Foreign Minister Nguyen Thanh Son, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi agreed on a common perception on maintaining peace and stability in the East Sea, together with other countries. ASEAN promotes negotiations, soon achieves COC. Countries that are actively involved in the East Sea such as the US and Japan also affirmed the need to maintain peace, security and stability in this area.

During the US-ASEAN video conference in May 2021, Acting Assistant US Secretary of State Atul Keshap emphasized that President Joe Biden’s administration attaches great importance to the strategic partnership with ASEAN, affirming to coordinate closely. with ASEAN countries to contribute to maintaining peace, security and stability in the region, including maritime security and safety in the East Sea, the world’s lifeline.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, during his visit to Vietnam and Indonesia in late April and early May, pledged to work closely with countries towards the Indo-Pacific region, including the peaceful East Sea. stable, free and open.

Finally, the author of the article said that, in the context of the world and the region, there are unpredictable changes such as: The Russia-Ukraine conflict, the epidemic Covid-19 Still complicated developments in some countries, the competition between the US – China, the US – Russia is increasing, maintaining a peaceful and stable East Sea is of great significance and is in the interests of all countries. countries, not only the countries bordering the East Sea, ASEAN countries, but also the Indo-Pacific region and the world.