International public opinion strongly opposes China

(Baonghean) - A series of major newspapers in the UK, US, Singapore... continue to publish a lot of information about developments related to the situation in the East Sea, including the speech of Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and especially emphasizing the consensus of ASEAN at the 24th ASEAN Summit that just ended yesterday (May 12) in Myanmar.

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) and the New York Times (NYT) of the US, Radio Australia, Al Jazeera and many major newspapers in the world yesterday simultaneously published a speech by Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung at the recent ASEAN Summit. They emphasized that China's deployment of the Haiyang Shiyou 981 drilling rig to Vietnam's East Sea is an "extremely dangerous action that has been and is directly threatening peace, stability, security and maritime safety in the East Sea". The newspapers also quoted Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung's assertion that Vietnam has "exercised utmost restraint, sincerely expressed all goodwill, and used all dialogue and communication channels with different levels of China". The New York Times commented that Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung's speech was Vietnam's strongest statement since China deployed the Haiyang Shiyou 981 drilling rig to the East Sea.

In an article titled "Philippines, Vietnam ask ASEAN to take strong action against China", the Philippine Inquirer newspaper reported that Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung condemned China's installation of a deep-water drilling rig in waters within Vietnam's continental shelf and exclusive economic zone. Quoting the Vietnamese Prime Minister, the article wrote, "China's extremely dangerous actions are directly threatening peace, stability and maritime security in the East Sea."

The Japanese press also reported on the ASEAN Summit, commenting that ASEAN showed solidarity on the East Sea issue. The Sankei online newspaper reported today that the tense situation in the East Sea became a major topic of discussion at the ASEAN Summit. The Sankei also quoted the President of Myanmar, the ASEAN Chair, affirming that ASEAN countries will unite to resolve the East Sea issue.

Most major newspapers, radio and television stations in Thailand reported and commented on the 24th ASEAN Summit in Myanmar. In particular, Thai public opinion is very interested in the "hot" topic of the East Sea issue at this ASEAN Summit. Notably, famous scholar Kavi Chongkitthavorn at the Thailand Institute of Security and International Studies said that ASEAN member countries need to make efforts to strengthen solidarity to increase bargaining power in resolving regional issues. As the coordinator of ASEAN-China relations, Thailand's role is very important in persuading countries with conflicts over the East Sea issue to negotiate soon to prevent the risk of using force. Scholar Kavi also highly appreciated the recent ASEAN-China senior officials meeting in Pattaya, Thailand; In which the two sides exchanged and agreed to continue conducting research and proposing the development of a draft action plan with binding obligations in building peace in the East Sea.

Dr. Gerhard Will, a Southeast Asia expert at the German Institute of Science and Politics (SWP), has criticized China's actions. According to Mr. Will, China's illegal placement of the drilling rig in Vietnam's exclusive economic zone has not only caused Vietnam but also many other countries to be particularly concerned. He stated that "this action is a serious setback for efforts to reduce conflicts in the East Sea as well as the implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) signed by the countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and China."

In recent days, Russian public opinion, especially experts, have been extremely concerned about China's placement of the Haiyang Shiyou 981 drilling rig in Vietnam's exclusive economic zone in the East Sea. According to Mr. Anton Svetov, an expert at the Russian Council on Foreign Relations, Beijing wants to probe the reactions and test the tolerance of countries in the region as well as the US. In fact, each clash is a test for China. This includes the purpose of testing the regional security structure built on the US's system of relations with other countries and multilateral institutions in ASEAN.

Faced with the tense situation in the East Sea due to China's action of bringing the drilling rig into the waters under Vietnam's sovereignty, General Daniel Schaeffer - former Military Attaché of the French Embassy in China, Vietnam and Thailand, now a China expert at the French Center for Asian Studies 21, commented that this is a further act of China causing tension in asserting its claim of the "cow tongue line" in the East Sea. Mr. Schaeffer said that the international community, especially major countries such as the US, the European Union, Australia, Canada, Japan, Russia... need to take decisive action, calling on the United Nations General Assembly to demand that China respond to its commitments to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and abandon its claims of sovereignty over the "cow tongue line". Only when China abandons its claim of the "cow tongue line", can negotiations on disputed issues in the East Sea be held.

PV