(VOVworld) - The Council of Representatives of French and Vietnamese Associations (CRAFV) has asked China to respect the Permanent Court of Arbitration’s ruling on the Philippines lawsuit against China’s claims in the East Sea. The Council’s petition mentioned the complicated situation in the East Sea and reviewed China’s actions in the East Sea since 1974, particularly its illegal claiming of islands and construction of infrastructure and large-scale ports for military purposes.

Satellite image shows China's illegal claiming of the Fiery Cross in the East Sea. (photo: AFP)

The PCA’s ruling on July 12 rejected China’s groundless 9-dash line claim, and China has refused to accept the ruling. The petition asked China to respect the PCA’s ruling and the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, to which China is a signatory. It also asked China to stop illegally constructing artificial islands, militarizing those islands, and illegally hindering Vietnamese fishermen from fishing in their traditional fishing grounds.

The petition was posted to collect signatures on the website of the Council of Representatives of French and Vietnamese Associations at www.change.org. It will be sent to French administrative agencies, the European Parliament and Committee, the embassies in France of Vietnam, China, the US, Australia, Japan, and the Republic of Korea, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and international media agencies.