Vietnam is negotiating with regional countries to step by step address
the disputes in the East Sea , including that on sovereignty over
Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagoes, advocating the employment of
peaceful measures in compliance with international laws.

The policy was presented at an international seminar on border held in
London , the UK , on April 19, by the UK Hydrographic Office
(UKHO), the King’s College and the Public International Law Firm
Volterra Fietta.

Deputy Head of the Department on
Law and International Treaty under the Foreign Ministry Nguyen Thi Minh
Nguyet told participants that Vietnam welcomes active contributions
made by all countries in and outside the region to maintaining peace and
stability, and ensuring maritime freedom, security, and safety in the
East Sea .

Vietnam has worked together with
other ASEAN members in building important documents to preserve peace
and stability in the East Sea , including the Declaration of Conduct
of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) in 2002, and the bloc’s Six-point
Principle on the East Sea in July, 2012.

While making
efforts to speed up the making of a Code of Conduct of Parties in the
East Sea (COC), Vietnam is striving to safeguard peace and stability in
the region by maintaining the status quo, not complicating the
situation, and neither taking any violent actions nor threatening to use
force.

Nguyet also stated that the country respects for
navigation freedom and together with concerned parties ensures security
and safety for ships crossing the East Sea in compliance with the
1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)

Regarding sovereignty over Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagoes, the
representative stressed that Vietnam has sufficient legal and
historical evidence to prove that the country has exercised its
sovereignty over the two archipelagoes continuously and peacefully since
the 17 th century.

On overlapping sea areas,
Vietnam ’s policy is to negotiate to seek an equitable and satisfactory
solution for concerned parties based on international law.

Dealing with the East Sea topic, the participants agreed that the
complexity of the East Sea disputes triggered technical problems
to the solution-seeking process, in particular boundary demarcation
efforts.

Henry Bensurto Jr, a senior assistant at
the Philippines Foreign Ministry, said under the angle of international
law, especially the 1982 UNCLOS, China’s claim on the so-called
“nine-dash line” is illegal.

Meanwhile, Professor
Robert Beckman, director of the international law center under the
Singapore National University, said UNCLOSE, especially its clauses on
how to resolve disputes, plays a crucial role in pushing ahead the
creation of a comprehensive solution to the disputes in the East Sea.-VNA