Despite the shortcomings of the international legal framework regarding territorial disputes at sea, experts concur that international law plays a critical role in securing peace and stability at sea. This was the unanimous agreement reached by international legal experts at a workshop entitled “Navigating towards the free and opens seas of Asia: The role of international law in maintaining good order at sea” held yesterday in Hanoi. The most important piece of international law in this area is the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which is hampered by generally inadequate language and a lack of enforcement mechanisms.Given the recent escalation of tensions in the littoral Asia-Pacific, especially in the South China Sea, most countries seek to establish ‘good order’ in the regional seas via multi-lateral action such as the formalisation of ‘code of conducts.’ However, according to Abhijit Singh, Head of Maritime Policy … [Read more...] about Rule of law needs to be respected in the South China Sea: experts
South china sea
Kerry: US concerned by China’s actions in South China Sea
US Secretary of State John Kerry says he is concerned by the pace and scope of China's reclamation projects in contested areas of the South China Sea. He was speaking at a press conference with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing. China claims almost the whole of the South China Sea, resulting in overlapping claims with Brunei, Taiwan, the Philippines, Vietnam and Malaysia. Mr Wang said that China was determined to safeguard its sovereignty. Mr Kerry is due to hold a series of meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping and other top government officials in the Chinese capital. US officials had been briefing in advance that Mr Kerry was planning to deliver a stern message to China about what is alleged to be its huge land reclamation operation around some of the disputed reefs and islands it controls in the South China Sea. At the joint press conference, Mr Kerry said that one of the strengths of the modern US China relationship was that the two sides could speak candidly … [Read more...] about Kerry: US concerned by China’s actions in South China Sea
US launches quiet diplomacy to ease South China Sea tensions
It urges parties to adhere by South China Sea ruling. The U.S. is using quiet diplomacy to persuade the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam and other Asian nations not to move aggressively to capitalize on an international court ruling that denied China's claims to the South China Sea (Vietnam's East Sea), several U.S. administration officials said on Wednesday. "What we want is to quiet things down so these issues can be addressed rationally instead of emotionally," said one official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe private diplomatic messages. Some were sent through U.S. embassies abroad and foreign missions in Washington, while others were conveyed directly to top officials by Defense Secretary Ash Carter, Secretary of State John Kerry and other senior officials, the sources said. "This is a blanket call for quiet, not some attempt to rally the region against China, which would play into a false narrative that the U.S. is leading a coalition to contain China," … [Read more...] about US launches quiet diplomacy to ease South China Sea tensions
PCA’s press release on South China Sea arbitration
At the court (Source: BBC) Hanoi (VNA) – There was no legal basis for China to claim historic rights to resources within the sea area enclosed by the nine-dash line as ruled by the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague, the Netherlands. The ruling was adopted on July 12 for the Philippines’s lawsuit against China on a dispute in the South China Sea (known as the East Sea in Vietnam). On the day, the PCA also issued a press release on the case. The following is the full text of the press release. “THE SOUTH CHINA SEA ARBITRATION (THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES V. THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA) The Hague, 12 July 2016 The Tribunal Renders Its Award A unanimous Award has been issued today by the Tribunal constituted under Annex VII to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (the “Convention”) in the arbitration instituted by the Republic of the Philippines against the People’s Republic of China. This arbitration … [Read more...] about PCA’s press release on South China Sea arbitration
Who is the real trouble-maker in the South China Sea?
Vietnamese Ambassador to Thailand Nguyen Tat Thanh on July 7 wrote an article on the country's daily Matichon, opposing the wrongful view of Chinese Ambassador to Thailand Ning Fukui on the East Sea published earlier on the same newspaper. Following is the full text of Ambassador Thanh's article under the title "Who is the real trouble-maker in the South China Sea ?" - a few words to Ambassador Ning Fukui. A harasser crying "Stop harassing!" On June 23, 2014, Ambassador Ning Fukui wrote in the Matichon Daily expressing his opinions on the issue of the South China Sea - called "the East Sea" by Vietnam. With a view to a better-informed public opinion on this particular issue, I would like to present here some facts and information to help the Daily's readers have a more complete assessment of "Who is the trouble-maker in the South China Sea?". First, the information Ambassador Ning used in his article to argue that Vietnam "disrupted" China's activities was, in fact, copied from … [Read more...] about Who is the real trouble-maker in the South China Sea?