Peace, stability in East Sea under serious threat, says PM

PM Nguyen Tan Dung asks the global community to continue voicing their oppositions to China's violations and back Viet Nam's legitimate rights

The Vietnamese PM made the remark on May 11 at the 24th ASEAN Summit in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar.

In his keynote speech, PM Dung shared a series of viewpoints on ASEAN’s key issues, including the ASEAN Community Roadmap, the future of ASEAN Community and the bloc’s foreign relations.

Among the above issues, PM Dung especially stressed on regional peace and security and recent complicated and serious developments in the East Sea.

PM Dung announced that since May 1, 2014, China has deployed 80 armed and military ships and aircrafts to accompany China’s drilling rig which was illegally installed in Viet Nam’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf. The Chinese ships fired water cannons at and intentionally crashed into the Vietnamese vessels, leading to property damage and human injuries.

This is the first time China sent an oil rig and installed it deeply inside the exclusive economic zone and continental shelf of an ASEAN member state. The move seriously violates international law, the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) that China is a signatory. The extremely dangerous action has threatened directly peace, stability, security and freedom of navigation in the East Sea.

PM Dung said that Viet Nam has extremely exercised self-restraint, expressed goodwill and used all channels of dialogues and contacts with all Chinese levels to object and demand China immediately withdraw the oil rig as well as armed and military vessels from Viet Nam’s sea. However, China has not met the legitimate requirements of Viet Nam. China even slandered, imputed the blame to Viet Nam and continued to enhance violations in an increasingly dangerous and serious manner.

Viet Nam attaches special importance to, always spares no effort to maintain and strengthen the fine friendship with China. Viet Nam always hopes to work with China to resolve disputes via peaceful measures on the basis of international law, equality and mutual respect for the sake of the two countries, in favor of regional and international peace and stability. Viet Nam totally opposes violation actions and is determined to protect the national sovereignty and its legitimate rights in accordance with international law.

“We express our gratitude to and urgently call on ASEAN member states, other countries, individuals and international organizations to continue voicing your oppositions to the aforesaid violations and back the legitimate requirements of Viet Nam,” said PM Dung.

For this especially serious situation, PM Dung asked ASEAN to strengthen the solidarity and strongly re-affirm the principles as stipulated in the ASEAN’s Six-Point Principles on the East Sea; demand China comply with international law, the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, especially respect for the exclusive economic zone and continental shelf of the coastal countries and seriously and fully realize the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and practically work with ASEAN on the Code of Conduct (COC) talks.

Viet Nam suggests ASEAN add the above issues on the East Sea to the Declaration of the meeting and the Chairman’s Statement of the 24th ASEAN Summit.

PM Dung highly valued the adoption of a statement by ASEAN Foreign Ministers on May 10, 2014 on the current complicated situation in the East Sea which shows the unity, central role, active spirit and high responsibility of ASEAN on regional peace, stability and security./.

By Huong Giang