Vietnam has every right to protect its exclusive economic zone.
That is the opinion of experts at the 9th East Sea Conference recently held in the US.
The 9th South China Sea Conference took place in Washington, USA, on July 24. The conference, organized by the Southeast Asia Program and the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (AMTI) of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), attracted the participation of many scholars and researchers around the world.
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| The 9th East Sea Conference. |
The workshop attracted the participation of many leading experts and scholars from major research institutes in the US, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines, Norway, Australia, China, Malaysia and Vietnam.
Delegates focused on discussing three main contents including the current status in the East Sea, the history of sovereignty claims in the East Sea and ways to manage disputes in the East Sea.
According to many research experts, China's geological survey activities have violated Vietnam's exclusive economic zone and continental shelf at Tu Chinh shoal.
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| Expert Bill Hayton. |
Mr. Bill Hayton, a leading expert on the East Sea at the Royal Institute of International Studies in the UK, said: "This is clearly a violation of Vietnam's exclusive economic zone.Under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNLOS), I see nothing that can justify China's current activities.Vietnam has every right to protect its exclusive economic zone. According to the Law of the Sea Convention and the ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration three years ago, that sea area belongs to Vietnam.
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| Professor Stein Tonnesson. |
Professor Stein Tonnesson of the Peace Research Institute Oslo, Norway, shares the same view: “I think this is a reprehensible behavior from China. According to UNCLOS, China has no right to exploit resources in the exclusive economic zones and continental shelves of other countries.
China is trying to implement the “cow tongue line” to serve its development in defiance of international law. This time China is not drilling for oil but conducting a large-scale survey in the East Sea.
China is also preventing other countries from conducting surveys in their continental shelves. China is conducting surveys in areas where it does not have sovereignty and preventing Vietnam from conducting surveys in areas where Vietnam has sovereignty.
According to researchers and scholars, the East Sea issue continues to develop in a complicated manner, so specific solutions are needed with the participation of parties and the international community.
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| Director of the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative Gregory Poling. |
“The South China Sea issue needs to be at the top of the diplomatic agenda,” said Gregory Poling, director of the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative. “In 2015 and 2016, the topic was always mentioned at international events and was even included in the joint statement of the G7 Summit.
If this issue is constantly brought up, it will make China look like a country that does not follow international law and other countries will not want to cooperate with China and this will affect its long-term goals. China wants to be a global leader and must behave accordingly.
Another option is to consider economic sanctions against Chinese individuals and companies. For example, if a Chinese company engages in illegal surveying in Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone, it should be punished. Or if a Chinese fishing vessel engages in violent activities, the company that owns that vessel should be punished.”
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| Chinese ship Haiyang Dizhi 8. The small photo is an image posted on Twitter by Associate Professor Ryan Martinson, showing the voyage of the Haiyang Dizhi 8 from July 3 to July 19, violating Vietnam's exclusive economic zone. Photo: TTO |
Meanwhile, Professor Stein Tonnesson believes that dialogue will be an effective solution: “I think Southeast Asian countries need to be clear about protecting their rights under UNCLOS and the international community needs to encourage these countries. Meanwhile, these countries also need to continue dialogue with China, especially its leaders, to come up with substantive solutions so that China can realize some of its interests in UNCLOS.”
Regarding the East Sea issue, US Republican Congressman Mike Gallagher said on Twitter on July 25 that China's increasing aggressive activities in the East Sea are unacceptable. Mr. Gallagher also called on the US Congress to pass a bill drafted by him and Congressman Jimmy Panetta to apply sanctions against China's militarization and reclamation in the region.
The bill, introduced by two US Congressmen in late June 2019 under the name of the South China Sea and East China Sea Sanctions Act, aims to punish individuals and entities that support China's illegal activities in these two sea areas in order to protect regional security and international trade.
