A ship by Vietnam Coast Guard (Photo: VNA)

In a piece published by the Eurasia Review, Indonesian senior journalist Veeramalla Anjaiah voiced objections to China’s recent activities in Vietnamese waters, saying they worsen the East Sea situation and clearly violate the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982 (UNCLOS 1982) of which China is among the signatories. The author also spoke highly of Vietnam’s outspoken call for the immediate withdrawal of the Chinese vessels from the Vanguard Bank area.

He noted that many countries like Australia, Canada, the EU, France, Germany and the US have criticized China for its provocative and unilateral actions in the East Sea, and called for   order based on the rule of law.

The well-respected International Association of Democratic Lawyers (IADL) has also slammed China for violating Vietnam’s legitimate rights in the Vanguard area. The IADL said last month that China’s acts are clear violations of Vietnam’s rights as stipulated in the UNCLOS, and that IADL requests that China promptly stop violating the sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction of Vietnam, and stop carrying out activities that further complicate the situation and increase tension between related parties while  concentrating on building mutual trust to maintain  security, peace and stability in the East Sea in particular and in the region in general”.

According to the journalist, both the international community and the ASEAN bloc should condemn China’s unilateral provocative actions that violate  international law regarding the EEZs and continental shelves of Southeast Asian countries. There should be solidarity among ASEAN nations on this troubling issue, he wrote, stressing they should move toward full implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and accelerate negotiations on the Code of Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (COC) which is legally binding, effective and based on the UNCLOS 1982 and other international rules to reduce tensions and avoid conflict.

Gerhard Will, an expert from the Stiftung Wissenchaft und Politik (the German Institute for International and Security Affairs), noted that China has most recently taken still more actions that violate international laws in the East Sea. It is noteworthy that the EU issued a statement on the East Sea on August 28 and three countries - Germany, the UK and France – released a joint statement on the following day, he said, illustrating how the East Sea issue is related to the interests of not only the region but also the global community. Furthermore, it shows that the international community wants the issue to be settled based on international law.