The Vietnamese Businesses’ Association in Australia (VBAA) has expressed their concern about recent developments in the East Sea, which increase tension in the region.

In a letter sent to Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott and delegates to the G20 Summit in Queensland on November 15-16, VBAA highlighted that the East Sea is a life-line and important maritime route for many countries worldwide, including Australia and other G20 member economies.

The association said goods transportation at the sea can be interrupted by disputes, causing unforeseeable consequences to economies in the region and the world, and even impacting seriously on the global economic recovery.

VBAA called on Australia – as Chair of G20 and the alternate President of the United Nations Security Council- to affirm the common interest of the G20 in maintaining peace and stability, respect for international law, navigation and aviation freedom in the East Sea.

The letter said with its prestige and global strength, Australia should raise its voice against unilateral actions to change the actuality in the East Sea by using and threatening to use force, as well as call on relevant parties to settle disputes through dialogues.

Apart from VBAA’s letter, many Vietnamese students living in Australia signed an open letter calling on Australia and G20 to appeal to parties related to disputes in the East Sea to seriously implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), and cooperate to build a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC).-VNA