Hoang Sa-Truong Sa seminar in German media spotlight

July 12, 2014 | 09:56

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Finanzen.net – one of Germany’s largest financial e-portals on July 9 reported on an international seminar on Vietnam’s Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagos which was held in the central city of Danang from June 19-21.

More than 100 experts, scientists and journalists from the US, Germany, Russia, France, Belgium, Japan, Italy, India, the Republic of Korea (RoK), Australia, the Philippines and Vietnam discussed historical evidence confirming Vietnam's sovereignty over Hoang Sa and Truong Sa islands, the article said.

According to the report, China's illegal stationing of its oil rig Haiyang Shiyou-981 in Vietnam's Ly Son Island on May 1 has escalated tensions concerning territorial sovereignty between the two countries. By taking this action, China has ignored agreements on fundamental principles guiding the settlement of sea issues that Vietnam and China signed in 2011.

The article quoted international experts as saying that to respond to China's illegal actions, Vietnam can invoke the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) to deal with current East Sea issues.

It quoted Professor Carlyle Thayer from the University of South Wales assuring that China's illegal provocative actions are endangering peace in the East Sea.

Thayer also stated that China can not arbitrarily put its oil rig into operation without permission from Vietnam as this area is obviously within Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

The article quoted other international scientists like Daniel Schaeffer (France), Dmitry Mosyakov (Russia) and Jerome Cohen (the US) on the insurmountable legal evidence affirming Vietnam’s sovereignty over the two islands.

Professor Jerome Cohen from the US–Asia Law Institute (USALI) said that Vietnam has always exercised the utmost of restraint, firmly committed to the use of peaceful means to resolve disputes in the East Sea.

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