China illegally builds artificial islands in Vietnam's Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelago (Photo: DigitalGlobe)Hanoi (VNA) – The East Sea situation was the highlight of a debate recently held by Poland’s Centre for International Relations (CSM).
Addressing the event were representatives from the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the embassies of ASEAN member states, Russia and Japan, experts on the Asia-Pacific region, and local reporters.
CSM presented its report on the East Sea situation, which explored the dispute’s origin, concerned parties’ sovereignty claims, man-made island construction, militarisation, as well as regional relations involved in the sea, and the stances of the US, the European Union, Japan, India, and Australia.
Michal Kolodziejski, head of the foreign ministry’s Asia-Pacific Department, presented Poland’s stance that says parties concerned should maintain stability in the region, address all disputes peacefully through international law, and avoid unilateral actions that spark tensions in the East Sea.
Malaysian Ambassador Fadil Shasuddin expressed his backing for the settlement of the issue by international law on the basis of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
Meanwhile, Randy Arquiza, first Secretary at the Philippines Embassy, updated participants of his nation’s lawsuit against China’s sovereignty claims in the East Sea.
Participants agreed that global powers needs to push for the settlement of the dispute to safeguard peace and stability in the sea.-VNA
