Deputy head of the Institute for East Sea Studies under the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam To Anh Tuan  speaks at the conference. (Photo: VNA)

Representatives from Australia, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, the US and Vietnam voiced their concern over recent  developments in the East Sea at the international conference themed “The New Maritime Geopolitical Theater”. The event was held by the Maritime Institute of Malaysia, the Japanese Embassy and Australian High Commission in Malaysia.

Deputy head of the Institute for East Sea Studies under the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam To Anh Tuan stressed that among maritime issues concerning the Indo-Pacific Ocean, disputes in the  East Sea are the most serious threat to  regional peace and security. Tuan pointed out disputes in the East Sea engage the highest number of parties as compared to other disputes in the region, while China, as a member of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982 (UNCLOS 1982), has acted counter to the principles set out in the convention. Moreover, security in the East Sea also impacts that of the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean, he added. According to Tuan, there will be a major forward  in building trust and promoting a peaceful and stable environment in the region if a Code of Conduct on the East Sea (COC) is adopted.  The COC is not used to address disputes of claimants but rather to regulate the conduct of each party.

To this end, he laid stress on the use of peaceful means in line with international law, including UNCLOS 1982, to solve the issue.