Experts: China’s acts in East Sea increase regional tensions
Hanoi (VNA) – Dr. Le Hong Hiep from the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies
in Singapore has said China’s recent acts in the East Sea has made the regional
situation more tense and uncertain, thus hindering negotiations on a Code of
Conduct in the East Sea (COC).
Meanwhile, Indonesia’s senior journalist Veeramalla Anjaiah described the
Chinese coast guard vessel’s recent sinking of a Vietnamese fishing boat on
Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago as “unacceptable”.
Additionally, China’s naming of islands, reefs and geographical features in the
East Sea is also a serious violation of the 1982 United Nations Convention on
the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), he said.
Anjaiah added that China seriously violated international law when claiming
sovereignty over more than 80 percent of the East Sea based on the so-called
“nine-dash line” which has no legal value.
He stressed that the international community needs to condemn China’s “illegal
actions” and “bully behaviours” in the East Sea.
According to him, ASEAN needs to have a common stance on the issue and step up
COC talks./.