A number of China's ships around its Haiyang Shiyou-981 rig (Photo: VNA)

(VOVworld) – Despite international opinion, China has continuously undertaken numerous acts which make the situation in the East Sea more complicated. Meanwhile the world media continues to cover activities which regional and international countries have done and should do to prevent China’s expansionist strategy.

The US National Interest on Monday ran an article by Harry J.Kazianis saying that China was adjusting its strategy in the East Sea by placing an oil rig in Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone, issuing a new map which arrogantly included almost all Vietnam’s territorial waters and islands in China’s so-called sovereign area. By these means, it is quite clear that Beijing is trying to consolidate the status quo.

Harry wrote that this is how China is using not only to slowly change facts on the ground and in the water, but to steer world perception towards its own position.

Harry said that China’s recent acts were a challenge to ASEAN. China’s claiming its sovereignty over 90% of the East Sea is a direct threat to the countries that benefit from the common waters. If there were no measures to prevent such actions it could become a dangerous precedent. Harry said ASEAN should protest China’s acts at all costs. Using legal maneuvers and international law might be a possible strategy. This is what the Philippines did – to bring it to the Permanent Court of Arbitration. The international community should also take action to prevent China because nobody can be sure that it might not continue a similar expansionist strategy in other areas.

Aslo that day, the Philippines’ Business World Online posted a statement by the country’s Foreign Ministry reiterating its protest against China’s issuance of the new map. It said the map represents China’s groundless declarations that go contrary to international law. Earlier, the Foreign Ministry of India said that China’s newly published map will not change the reality.