UK supports resolving East Sea disputes by UNCLOS

On August 12, British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond commented that overlapping territorial claims in the East Sea are at risk of "boiling" and need to be resolved peacefully.

Speaking to students at China's Peking University, Mr Hammond said there were "tensions and risks of escalation in this region. We want to see those claims resolved by rules-based solutions, not by force in Asia or anywhere else."

British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond is visiting China. Photo: AP

He noted that the issue needs to be resolved "in a manner consistent with the long-term peace and stability of the region, in accordance with the freedom of navigation and overflight, and in compliance with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)."

Foreign Secretary Hammond is currently visiting China for high-level talks ahead of a state visit to the UK in October by Chinese President Xi Jinping.

According to Vietnam+