The East Sea dispute will continue in the near future and urgentsolutions should be found to manage the conflict and resolve it withoutforce or the threat to use force and protect the rights of fishermen intraditional fishing grounds, an international conference that opened inHCM City on July 25 agreed.
Speaking at the two-day"International Conference on East Sea Disputes" attended by 22Vietnamese and foreign researchers and scholars, Dang Ngoc Tung,president of the Vietnam Labour Confederation and chairman of theconference organising committee warned about the threats it posed.
"Inrecent years, conflicts over maritime boundaries in the East Seaand attempts to unilaterally impose territorial claims have causedtensions, threatened regional peace, maritime security, and freedom ofnavigation, and affected the livelihoods of thousands of fishermen intheir traditional fishing area.
"Failure to reduce tension and manage conflict may lead to skirmishes and wars.
"It is important to find ways to peacefully manage the conflict and resolve disputes based on international law and diplomacy."
CarlyleA. Thayer from the Australian Defence Force Academy ,University of New South Wales , Australia , said: " China 's deploymentof the giant state-owned drilling rig in Block 143 inside Viet Nam 'sexclusive economic zone and accompanying armada of military,paramilitary, and civilian fishing boats has created the most severecrisis in bilateral relations between China and Vietnam .
"Notonly has it undermined strategic trust between China and Vietnam ,but is also a cause for regional and international concern."
Hesuggested that while ASEAN is drafting its Code of Conduct forSoutheast Asia's Maritime Commons they should consider six other stepsincluding fisheries management, a key issue affecting regional foodsecurity; organising an effective Heads of ASEAN Coast Guards Meetingand quickly developing practical multilateral co-operation to deal withchallenges to maritime security; institutionalising and enhancing therole of the Expanded ASEAN Maritime Forum and developing an agenda thataddresses the most pressing security issues such as maritime incidentsbetween warships, maritime incidents between civilian enforcement ships,and freedom of navigation and overflight.
"ASEAN needs tocreate an effective ASEAN Political-Security Council by prioritisingthe objectives of the multiple institutions working on maritime securityand streamline their reporting functions; and the ASEAN DefenceMinisters need to become more proactive in setting the priorities forsubordinate agencies."
Ramses Amer of the Institute forSecurity & Development Policy, Sweden , said: "As displayed bytensions between key claimant states in the East Sea — betweenChina and the Philippines and between China and Vietnam —incidents and associated tensions negatively affect efforts aiming atpromoting and implementing dispute management."
He called for greater efforts to minimise the risk of incidents occurring and to contain tension when incidents do occur.
S.D.Pradhan, a former deputy national security advisor to the IndianGovernment, worried about China 's growing military power that hascoincided with a more aggressive tone and activities, threatening thestability of the region.
Its aggressive actions andcontinuing occupation of islands/shoals are a matter of serious concernfor the stability and peace of the region, he said.
"China feels that it can violate international norms and laws withoutany penalty being imposed and therefore it has little incentive tobehave as a responsible regional power.
"The lack ofstrong reactions from the international community actually sends theimpression that the disputants as well as outside powers are not willingto do anything beyond making mild protests."
He warnedthat under the circumstances, while no early solution to the problem canbe hoped for, effective and urgent measures need to be taken to avoidany clash between the disputants.
Vo Minh Tap of theCollege of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University –HCM City, said to cope with the situation, ASEAN needs to strengthendialogue and confidence building; make its viewpoints, policies,consensus, and goodwill clear; promote co-operation in the region anddiplomatic activities and dialogues with major countries outside theblock to create a favorable international environment for settlement ofdisputes and conflicts; and use pressure from the internationalcommunity to force China to accept taking the East Sea disputes toglobal courts.
According to Le Trung Tinh and Le VinhTruong, scholars at the Southeast Asia Sea Research Foundation, alawsuit against China would be both an active form of foreignrelations and an effective solution for preventing war.
Someimmediate and short-term reprisals may cause difficulties to theVietnamese people and economy for which the country would need toprepare, they said.
But in the medium and longer terms,protracted reprisals would be a valuable medicine for Viet Nam tothoroughly treat the problems and weaknesses related to its economicrelations with China , they assured.
The East Seais the world's second busiest sea lane through which more than half ofthe world's supertankers and $5.3 trillion worth of annual trade pass.
Thereare sovereignty disputes in the sea between China and several of itsneighbouring nations, including Vietnam and the Philippines.-VNA
Speaking at the two-day"International Conference on East Sea Disputes" attended by 22Vietnamese and foreign researchers and scholars, Dang Ngoc Tung,president of the Vietnam Labour Confederation and chairman of theconference organising committee warned about the threats it posed.
"Inrecent years, conflicts over maritime boundaries in the East Seaand attempts to unilaterally impose territorial claims have causedtensions, threatened regional peace, maritime security, and freedom ofnavigation, and affected the livelihoods of thousands of fishermen intheir traditional fishing area.
"Failure to reduce tension and manage conflict may lead to skirmishes and wars.
"It is important to find ways to peacefully manage the conflict and resolve disputes based on international law and diplomacy."
CarlyleA. Thayer from the Australian Defence Force Academy ,University of New South Wales , Australia , said: " China 's deploymentof the giant state-owned drilling rig in Block 143 inside Viet Nam 'sexclusive economic zone and accompanying armada of military,paramilitary, and civilian fishing boats has created the most severecrisis in bilateral relations between China and Vietnam .
"Notonly has it undermined strategic trust between China and Vietnam ,but is also a cause for regional and international concern."
Hesuggested that while ASEAN is drafting its Code of Conduct forSoutheast Asia's Maritime Commons they should consider six other stepsincluding fisheries management, a key issue affecting regional foodsecurity; organising an effective Heads of ASEAN Coast Guards Meetingand quickly developing practical multilateral co-operation to deal withchallenges to maritime security; institutionalising and enhancing therole of the Expanded ASEAN Maritime Forum and developing an agenda thataddresses the most pressing security issues such as maritime incidentsbetween warships, maritime incidents between civilian enforcement ships,and freedom of navigation and overflight.
"ASEAN needs tocreate an effective ASEAN Political-Security Council by prioritisingthe objectives of the multiple institutions working on maritime securityand streamline their reporting functions; and the ASEAN DefenceMinisters need to become more proactive in setting the priorities forsubordinate agencies."
Ramses Amer of the Institute forSecurity & Development Policy, Sweden , said: "As displayed bytensions between key claimant states in the East Sea — betweenChina and the Philippines and between China and Vietnam —incidents and associated tensions negatively affect efforts aiming atpromoting and implementing dispute management."
He called for greater efforts to minimise the risk of incidents occurring and to contain tension when incidents do occur.
S.D.Pradhan, a former deputy national security advisor to the IndianGovernment, worried about China 's growing military power that hascoincided with a more aggressive tone and activities, threatening thestability of the region.
Its aggressive actions andcontinuing occupation of islands/shoals are a matter of serious concernfor the stability and peace of the region, he said.
"China feels that it can violate international norms and laws withoutany penalty being imposed and therefore it has little incentive tobehave as a responsible regional power.
"The lack ofstrong reactions from the international community actually sends theimpression that the disputants as well as outside powers are not willingto do anything beyond making mild protests."
He warnedthat under the circumstances, while no early solution to the problem canbe hoped for, effective and urgent measures need to be taken to avoidany clash between the disputants.
Vo Minh Tap of theCollege of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University –HCM City, said to cope with the situation, ASEAN needs to strengthendialogue and confidence building; make its viewpoints, policies,consensus, and goodwill clear; promote co-operation in the region anddiplomatic activities and dialogues with major countries outside theblock to create a favorable international environment for settlement ofdisputes and conflicts; and use pressure from the internationalcommunity to force China to accept taking the East Sea disputes toglobal courts.
According to Le Trung Tinh and Le VinhTruong, scholars at the Southeast Asia Sea Research Foundation, alawsuit against China would be both an active form of foreignrelations and an effective solution for preventing war.
Someimmediate and short-term reprisals may cause difficulties to theVietnamese people and economy for which the country would need toprepare, they said.
But in the medium and longer terms,protracted reprisals would be a valuable medicine for Viet Nam tothoroughly treat the problems and weaknesses related to its economicrelations with China , they assured.
The East Seais the world's second busiest sea lane through which more than half ofthe world's supertankers and $5.3 trillion worth of annual trade pass.
Thereare sovereignty disputes in the sea between China and several of itsneighbouring nations, including Vietnam and the Philippines.-VNA
