(VOVworld) - Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Monday commended a joint statement issued by ASEAN foreign ministers on the current East Sea situation. Though China views East Sea disputes as bilateral matters between China and the other countries involved, Lee said, Singapore and other ASEAN members agree that regional security and stability depend on what happens in the East Sea so the bloc must have a view.

Singapore’s Foreign Minister K. Shanmugam reiterated this stance during his US visit. He told reporters: “About regional issue in the East Sea, ASEAN foreign ministers have issued a statement. We don’t want tension, instead, we want a Code of Conduct to progress the situation. We want a situation where parties resolve the disputes and differences in a way that is acceptable to all.”

Vinod Anand, Senior Fellow of the Vivekananda International Foundation in New Delhi, called China’s action a violation of Vietnam’s sovereignty and the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). He described China’s deployment of oil rig Haiyang-981 escorted by a fleet of ships and military jets in Vietnam’s waters as an aggressive act to push its territorial claims in the East Sea.

China places oil rig Haiyang-981 in Vietnam's waters. (Photo: tuoitre.vn)

Anand asked ASEAN members to stand united and, with the world community, urge China to honor the Code of Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (COC). He underlined the importance of a peaceful settlement of the dispute, warning that China’s action could escalate tensions and be detrimental to regional peace and stability.