April 25, 2020 | 19:55 (GMT+7)
Experts: China’s acts in East Sea increase regional tension
Dr. Le Hong Hiep from the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies in Singapore has said China’s recent acts in the East Sea has made the regional situation more tense and uncertain, thus hindering negotiations on a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC).
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Vietnamese trawlers fishing at sea (Photo for illustration) |
Meanwhile, Indonesia’s senior journalist Veeramalla Anjaiah described the Chinese coast guard vessel’s recent sinking of a Vietnamese fishing boat on Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago as “unacceptable”.
Additionally, China’s naming of islands, reefs and geographical features in the East Sea is also a serious violation of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), he said.
Anjaiah added that China seriously violated international law when claiming sovereignty over more than 80 percent of the East Sea based on the so-called “nine-dash line” which has no legal value.
He stressed that the international community needs to condemn China’s “illegal actions” and “bully behaviours” in the East Sea.
According to him, ASEAN needs to have a common stance on the issue and step up COC talks.
Source: VNA