Deputy Foreign Minister Dang Dinh Quy briefed the gathering on the legal concept concerning disputes and types of disputes in the East Sea in accordance with international law, while detailing the contents of the ruling.
According to Tran Viet Thai, Deputy Director of the Strategic Research Institute of the Foreign Ministry, on the legal aspects, the lawsuit has clarified the actions made by China in the East Sea over the last three years, which changed the status quo of the sea. The lawsuit creates a crucial and permanent foundation for involved parties to define the rights of relevant parties and seek to solve East Sea disputes.
Participants heard that the East Sea dispute is not merely the sovereignty dispute or a regional security-related issue, but about global governance concerning big countries and regulations of international law. The East Sea issue is just at the stage of conflict management and confidence-building, rather than going to the next stage to determine rights of parties and find the final solution to the issue, Thai said.
** At the same time, legal and political impacts of The Hague tribunal’s ruling on the East Sea dispute organised by the Habibi Centre of Indonesia and the US Embassy in the country, drew crowds of delegates, experts and representatives from foreign embassies in Jakarta. The event also considered the impacts of the ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) on the relationships among nations in the region.
Addressing the event, Aaron Jensen from the US Embassy expressed his wish that concerned parties will follow the verdict of the PCA, international law and avoid complicating the situation and militarising in disputed islands. He called on concerned nations to ensure maritime freedom and security in the East Sea, saying that this is the world’s most crucial marine route.
Meanwhile, participants reaffirmed that China has no legal basis to claim its maritime sovereignty over 80 percent of the East Sea with the so-called nine-dot line, saying that the country locates the furthest from the waters it claimed in comparison with other related nations. They also called on concerned parties to respect the PCA’s ruling and ASEAN nations to further unite to achieve common goals.
