Illustrative image (Source: VNA) Kuala Lumpur (VNA) - Cooperation among coast guards of countries is necessary to deal with challenges in enforcing the law in the East Sea, a Malaysian officer has said. Admiral Zulkifili Abu Bakar, Director General of the Malaysia Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA), made the statement on March 17. He said that the lack of forces and facilities and the invasion of foreign fishing vessels have posed more challenges in the East Sea, adding that cooperation among countries is the key to these challenges. 2017 recorded the largest number of foreign fishing ships entering Malaysia’s waters, he said. However, since the beginning of 2018, the situation has shown improvement, partly due to the effective cooperation between the Vietnam Coast Guard (VCG) and the MMEA, he stated, adding that he has had discussions with representatives from the VCG on these issues and have taken timely actions. The MMEA has cooperated with the Japan Coast Guard and … [Read more...] about Malaysia calls for cooperation among coast guards in East Sea
East sea
Satellite images reveal show of force by Chinese navy in East Sea
Dozens of Chinese naval vessels are exercising this week with an aircraft carrier in a large show of force off Hainan island in the South China Sea, known in Vietnam as the East Sea, satellite images obtained by Reuters show. The images, provided by Planet Labs Inc, confirm a Chinese carrier group has entered the vital trade waterway as part of what the Chinese navy earlier described as combat drills that were part of routine annual exercises. The Liaoning carrier group last week traversed the Taiwan Strait, according to the Taiwanese defense ministry. The photos, taken on Monday, show what appear to be at least 40 ships and submarines flanking the carrier Liaoning in what some analysts described as an unusually large display of the Chinese military's growing naval might. Sailing in a line formation more suited to visual propaganda than hard military maneuvers, the flotilla was headed by what appeared to be submarines, with aircraft above. Jeffrey Lewis, a security expert at the … [Read more...] about Satellite images reveal show of force by Chinese navy in East Sea
Vietnamese fishing group caught up in row over Chinese ban in East Sea
By Vo Hai  March 27, 2018 | 09:14 am GMT+7 Vietnamese fishing boats in the South China Sea, commonly known as the East Sea in Vietnam. Photo by VnExpress/Van Dong Last week, Vietnam's foreign ministry also voiced its opposition to the fishing ban. The Vietnam Fisheries Society has issued a statement protesting against a Chinese fishing ban in the East Sea, internationally known as the South China Sea, saying it violates Vietnam’s sovereignty. China's Ministry of Agriculture has announced it is adjusting a ban in Vietnam's territorial waters from May 1 to August 16, which would be applicable to areas north of the 12th parallel north, including the Gulf of Tonkin, Hoang Sa (Paracel) Islands and Scarborough Shoal. “This ban violates the rights and legal interests of Vietnam, the country’s sovereignty to the Paracel Islands and the Gulf of Tonkin, and it hampers the operations of Vietnamese fishermen,” said the … [Read more...] about Vietnamese fishing group caught up in row over Chinese ban in East Sea
VINAFIS opposes China’s unilateral fishing ban in East Sea
China’s Ministry of Agriculture has published an announcement on its official website that unilaterally makes adjustments to the country’s fishing ban in the East Sea, including Vietnam’s territorial waters. The ban will come into force from May 1 to August 16, 2018. Vietnamese fishing boats The VINAFIS held that the unilateral fishing ban of China hampers fishing activities of Vietnamese fishermen and violates Vietnam’s sovereignty over Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago and the Tonkin Gulf territorial waters as well as its legitimate rights and interests. It also infringes international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and related international legal documents, and runs counter to the spirit and wording of the Declaration on the Conduct of the Parties in the East Sea (DOC) signed between ASEAN and China in 2002, the VINAFIS said. China’s unilateral action is not in line with the development … [Read more...] about VINAFIS opposes China’s unilateral fishing ban in East Sea
China air force drills again in East Sea, Western Pacific
China’s air force has held another round of drills in the disputed South China Sea (which Vietnam calls the East Sea) and the Western Pacific after passing though Japan’s southern islands, the air force said on Sunday, calling such exercises the best preparation for war. China is in the midst of an ambitious military modernization program overseen by President Xi Jinping with a heavy focus on its air force and navy, from building stealth fighters to adding aircraft carriers. China insists it has no hostile intent, but its sabre-rattling in the busy South China Sea waterway, and around Taiwan, has touched a nerve in the region and in Washington. In a statement, the air force said H-6K bombers and Su-30 and Su-35 fighters, among other aircraft, carried out combat patrols over the South China Sea and exercises in the Western Pacific after passing over the Miyako Strait, which lies between two southern Japanese islands. It did not say when the exercises took place nor specify … [Read more...] about China air force drills again in East Sea, Western Pacific