(VOVworld) - The Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) held the sixth annual East Sea conference in Washington D.C on Tuesday, shortly after The Hague’s PCA tribunal ruled on the case brought by the Philippines against China’s sovereignty claims in East Sea.

Chinese vessels illegally conduct reclamation at Chu Thap (Fiery Cross) Reef of Vietnam's Truong Sa archipelago (Photo: EPA)

The one-day conference was held at the CSIS headquarters by the CSIS Southeast Asia Programme and Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative. The PCA ruled that China’s claims to historical sovereignty over waters within the so-called nine-dash line are contrary to the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The PCA said China has no historical title to waters in the South China Sea, and has no legal basis for claims of historical rights to resources within the nine-dash line.  

In the keynote speech of the conference, US Senator Dan Sullivan welcomed the PCA’s ruling, describing it as both an opportunity and a challenge for all parties involved in disputes in the East Sea. He urged China to act as a responsible member of the international community by respecting the tribunal’s ruling.

The sixth CSIS East Sea conference attracted specialists and senior officials from the US, the Philippines, Vietnam, Japan, China, Taiwan (China), Australia, and Malaysia.

VOV correspondent in the US