Foreign experts to an international workshop on legal issues regardingChina’s illegal placement of its Haiyang Shiyou-981 oil rig insideVietnam’s waters have voiced that international law must be respectedwhen it comes the settlement of current disputes in the East Sea.

They shared the view that for mutual interests and development in theregion and the world, current disputes in the East Sea must be handledby peaceful measures on the basis of international law, ensuringindependence, territorial integrity and sovereignty of each nation.

The workshop took place in Ho Chi Minh City on July 26 with expertsfrom the US, Russia, Italia, Switzerland, Hungary, Poland, Thailand, theRepublic of Korea, India, the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia, whoanalysed China’s actions from the viewpoint of international law, whilediscussing the settlement of territorial disputes through political,diplomatic and legal measures regulated in international law.

Participants agreed that China violated the United Nations Charter andthe United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982, theDeclaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and theagreement on the six-point principle on the settlement of sea issuesbetween ASEAN and China.

They said China’s actioninfringed upon Vietnam’s sovereign right and jurisdiction in itsexclusive economic zone and continental shelf as stated in the 1982UNCLOS, affected navigation, aviation and international tradeactivities, threatened peace and security in the region and the worldand harmed the friendship between Vietnamese and Chinese people.

Some suggested Vietnam take into consideration the use of legal toolsto handle disputes with China, saying the world’s order must operatewithin international law.

Experts emphasised therole of ASEAN in settling disputes in the East Sea by stepping up theimplementation of the DOC as well as the signing of a Code of Conduct inthe East Sea (COC).-VNA