Russian scholars have discussed territorial disputes in the world,including those in the East Sea, at a recent seminar hosted by theRussian State University for the Humanities in Moscow. Fiver papers dealing with the dispute in the East Sea were presentedat the event, analyzing the causes, historical factors and recentdevelopments while suggesting possible solutions. In his speech, Dmitry V.Mosyakov, Deputy Director of the Institute ofEastern Studies under the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAN),highlighted wrongful actions and intentions of China in recentincidents. According to Mosyakov, China shouldcooperate with its neighbours and consider their legitimate interestswhile working for an agreement on the basis of international law,particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea(UNCLOS). Meanwhile, Grigori Lokshin, a leadingexpert at the RAN’s Institute of Far Eastern Studies, said that China’sfirst White Papers on Military Strategy, released in late May, revealsits intentions to turn China into a marine power dominating the EastSea. He said this basically is a direct provocation targeting regionalcountries, including Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines and Brunei, aswell as its territory Taiwan. He pointed outthat this move immediately met with strong reactionis from theinternational community, who is worried that China’s ambition ofexpanding territorial waters would lead to unexpected consequences. All speakers affirmed that the best solution to these disputes is tosit down for negotiations and respect international law, especially theUNCLOS 1982 and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the EastSea.-VNA