On June 17, the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) based in Washington, DC (USA) held the 15th annual international conference on the East Sea in both in-person and online formats.
According to a VNA reporter in Washington, the event was attended by former US government officials, along with many famous experts and scholars from the US, Canada, Poland, Australia, India, China, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam.
In addition, Admiral Stephen Koehler - Commander of the US Pacific Fleet - also attended online and gave a speech.
The Vietnamese delegation was led by Ms. Nguyen Thi Lan Huong, Director of the Center for International Law - East Sea Institute of the Diplomatic Academy, attending the event.
The conference is a forum for scholars, diplomats and researchers around the world to discuss and assess the recent situation in the East Sea, legal developments and dispute management methods, and the role of countries outside the region such as India, South Korea and Europe in this sea.
The workshop also made recommendations and proposals for coordination between relevant parties to respond to challenges and promote cooperation in various fields to maintain and ensure a peaceful and stable situation in the East Sea.
The presented studies show that the situation in the East Sea is becoming increasingly complicated, especially in the context of the current volatile international environment.
Law is being used by states as a tool to strengthen sovereignty at sea, but the application and interpretation of international law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), needs to be comprehensive, precise and non-selective.
The East Sea is considered an international issue, containing many risks and if a conflict occurs, it will easily escalate and expand.
Therefore, countries need to exercise restraint, set an example, not complicate the situation, and resolve disputes by peaceful means based on international law and the 1982 UNCLOS.
Ms. Henrietta Levin, a former White House and State Department official and now a senior research fellow at CSIS, commented: “The strategic and economic importance of the South China Sea has always existed, and even increased, when considering the big questions about global stability, the rules-based international order, and core economic principles. Many of the key issues of the world today converge in the South China Sea, both in and around this region.”
“Overall, the strategic picture of the South China Sea has remained largely the same over the years: China maintains a heavy presence, but cannot effectively deter economic activity and assert sovereignty of Southeast Asian countries,” said Harrison Prétat, deputy director of the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (AMTI) at CSIS.
Admiral Stephen Koehler - Commander of the Pacific Fleet - presented the strategic importance of the East Sea, emphasizing the role of this sea as an important shipping route and the East Sea's connection to regional stability.
He also predicted that tensions in the East Sea could continue to increase in the coming time, while emphasizing the need for collective efforts to maintain peace in the region.
In the presentation of the Vietnamese delegation, Ms. Nguyen Thi Lan Huong focused on new legal developments in the East Sea, especially the fact that Vietnam and the Philippines submitted to the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf in June and July 2024 a dossier on the extended continental shelf, thereby helping the legal picture in the East Sea become increasingly clearer and more cohesive among the countries involved.
In addition, the representative of Vietnam also shared the importance of complying with international law, according to which the East Sea is not only a place to test international legal mechanisms, but also an important front to protect the international order based on rules, which has a profound impact on peace and stability not only in the region, but also in the whole world.
In addition, Vietnam also emphasized the responsibility of relevant countries in working together to build trust, promote cooperative measures, and control the risks of conflict, first of all, ensuring long-term peace and stability in the East Sea.
The 15th annual conference on the East Sea is supported by the embassies of Australia, New Zealand, Japan, the Philippines, and the Foundation for Environmental Security and Sustainable Development (FESS)./.
Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/hoi-thao-quoc-te-ve-bien-dong-viet-nam-nhan-manh-viec-tuan-thu-luat-phap-quoc-te-post1044946.vnp
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