(VOVWORLD) -The East Sea Conference recently held in Washington, D.C. emphasized the need for cooperation towards a peaceful solution to disputes for all countries involved and with interests in the region.
 Big Truong Sa Island belongs to the Truong Sa archipelago of Vietnam. Photo: baochinhphu
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This was the 14th conference on the East Sea (internationally known as South China Sea) organized by the US Center for Strategic and International Studies involving researchers and diplomats around the world.
Participants said that countries need to cooperate to identify potential threats at sea, emerging challenges and act together to prevent them. De-escalation of tensions benefits all countries, so hot spots need to be handled and managed effectively.
Dr. Nguyen Hung Son, Deputy Director of the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam, said: "There’s a call for countries, especially large countries, to strictly comply with international law in the East Sea, be exemplary in behaving responsibly, and ensure the maintenance of peace and stability. Countries also urge big countries to cooperate with each other to maintain common stability, because no side, big or small, wants an Asia Pacific region falling into a state of crisis like other regions in the world.”
The speakers voiced how much East Sea peace and stability matter to regional peace and stability and pointed out potential risks. Resolving East Sea challenges will help the Indo-Pacific regions truly become the center of global growth in the 21st century, they said.