(VOVworld) - A US Department of State representative at the fourth annual conference on the East Sea on Friday presented Washington proposals on specific steps to ease tensions in the region. Michael Fuchs, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Strategy and Multilateral Affairs, expressed concern over escalating tensions in the East Sea and said China’s provocative and unilateral behaviors raise doubts about its willingness in respecting international law. Fuchs said Washington has called on concerned parties to seek diplomatic measures, including filing a lawsuit to international arbitratory tribunal, to settle the dispute. He urged the claimant states to clarify and agree to voluntarily freeze certain actions and activities that escalate disputes and cause instability as described in the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC).

The fourth annual conference on the East Sea was held on July 10 and 11 in Washington DC by the CSIS

Regarding the US policy in the East Sea, US Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIC) expert on China, Bonniee Glaser, said the US is stepping up efforts to ease the tension to manage the situation peacefully and then finally settle the disputes. Ms. Glaser added that Washington is devising a strategy to change China’s calculation on interests’ expense to make Beijing understand that it will have to pay a high price for coercing and threatening its neighbors.  

The fourth annual conference on the East Sea was held on July 10 and 11 in Washington DC by the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), with the recent trends in the East Sea and US policy to the issue as a focus. Leading scholars from the US, China, India, Japan, Australia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam participated in the event to seek measures to ease tensions in the region.