Filipino lawyers urge China to stop provocative acts in East Sea
(VOVWORLD) - A number of Filipino lawyers and professors on Monday called on China to stop its provocative acts in the South China Sea (called the East Sea in Vietnam).
 The Philippine Coast Guard patrols past Chinese vessels at Whitsun Reef on April 14, 2021. (Photo: philstar.com) |
The statement was made by more than 500 professors and lawyers from colleges and universities in the Philippines, saying COVID-19 is spreading in many countries, and China’s acts are distracting countries from dealing with the pandemic. They said China should stop its provocative acts and join ASEAN countries in fighting the pandemic.
They expressed their support for Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana’s request that China withdraw its vessels from the area and respect international law as a signatory of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).