Participants, including domestic andforeign scholars and researchers from various countries including theUS, Russia, Canada, Switzerland, Australia, India, the Republic of Koreaand the Philippines, shared the view that Vietnam has established andexercised its sovereignty over Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagos in apeaceful and continuous manner in line with international law.
China’s use of force to occupy Hoang Sa archipelago in 1974 andseveral shoals on Truong Sa archipelago in 1988 were an absoluteviolation of international law, they said.
Theyalso slammed China’s irrational claim over a nine-dash line in theEast Sea. According to them, China’s strengthened efforts to claimthe line are behind the growing tensions in the East Sea.
Many opinions said China’s establishment of the so-called Sanshacity and its development activities in the area are attempts to controlthe East Sea, threatening peace, stability, maritime security andsafety in the East Sea.
The participantsagreed that peace, stability, maritime security, safety and freedom inthe East Sea are in the common interests of countries in andoutside the region.
According to them, the EastSea coastal nations need to comply with international law, the 1982United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), fully andseriously implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in theEast Sea (DOC) and early formulate a Code of Conduct in East Sea (COC).East Sea disputes should be settled by peaceful means in line withinternational law and the 1982 UNCLOS, without the use of or threat touse force, they said.
Tran Cong Truc, former headof the Government’s National Boundary Commission, said the fact thatVietnam is the first State in history to occupy and exercise itssovereignty over Hoang Sa and Truong Sa in an actual and continuousmanner was highlighted by scholars at the seminar.
On April 28, delegates attended the annual Hoang Sa Soldier Feast andCommemoration Festival in Ly Son island district. The event was held topay tribute to Hoang Sa Flotilla sailors who laid down their lives fornational island sovereignty.-VNA