(VOVworld) – On Monday, a VOV correspondent in France quoted some international researchers as saying that China’s claims of sovereignty in the East Sea are groundless and have no legal or historical foundation.

General Daniel Schaeffer (Photo: VOV)

General Daniel Schaeffer, former advisor to the French Defense Minister and an expert on the East Sea, said China’s interpretation of international maritime law is illogical.

He said Beijing has deliberately violated the law or sought ways to take advantage of legal loopholes.

China has never made public any specific historical evidence proving its continuous authority over Hoang Sa (Paracel) or Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelago before it illegally occupied Hoang Sa and part of Truong Sa.

Schaeffer noted that, in fact, China used force to take over the archipelagoes, which runs counter to the UN Charter.

General Shaeffer praised Vietnam’s stance on the lawsuit filed by the Philippines with the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) contesting China’s claims to disputed areas in the East Sea.

He said Vietnam’s statement of interest, which was submitted to the PCA in December 2014, provided additional information that will enable the court to handle the case with more accuracy.

Bruno Hellendorff of Belgium’s Group for Research and Information on Peace and Security (GRIP) hailed Vietnam’s organisation of recent workshops on the East Sea and the more active participation of Vietnamese scholars and leaders in East Sea-related international seminars.