The Hanoitimes - The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Russia have upgraded their relations strategic partnership. Vietnam’s Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc expressed his hope that Russia supports the standpoint and principles of ASEAN in safeguarding peace, and stability in the South China Sea, to which Vietnam refers as East Sea. Phuc made statement when together with other ASEAN leaders and Russian President Vladimir Putin attending the third Russia-ASEAN Summit, which is part of the 33rd ASEAN Summit and related meetings, in Singapore on November 14. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc at the 3rd ASEAN-Russia Summit. Photo: Quang Hieu The Vietnamese government leader called for addressing peacefully disputes based on international law, exercising self-restraint, avoiding complicating the situation, fully implementing DOC, and negotiating COC in a practical and efficient way. He said the ASEAN-Russia strategic … [Read more...] about Vietnam PM hopes for Russian support to safeguard peace and stability in East Sea
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Arbitral ruling on East Sea will have long-term impacts in dispute resolution: expert
VietNamNet Bridge – Ha Anh Tuan, Director of the Centre for Policy Analysis under the Institute for Bien Dong Maritime Studies, writes to Viet Nam News on the legal implications of the arbitral tribunal’s ruling and its impacts two years on. Dr Ha Anh Tuan, Director of the Centre for Policy Analysis under the Institute for Bien Dong Maritime Studies at the Diplomatic Academy of Viet Nam. On July 12, 2016, the Tribunal established under Annex VII to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS 1982) delivered a historical verdict in the arbitration instituted by the Philippines against China. The ruling has had long-term implications to the management and settlement of disputes in the East Sea (internationally called the South China Sea). Among the five conclusions of the arbitral tribunal, the two decisions most relevant to Vietnam’s national security concerns are about the legality of China’s nine-dash line claim and the legal … [Read more...] about Arbitral ruling on East Sea will have long-term impacts in dispute resolution: expert
Vietnam demands Facebook fix wrong depiction of its sovereignty
The Vietnamese government has demanded that Facebook takes immediate action to correct a map of Vietnam that does not include the Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagoes. The Ministry of Information and Communications said on Sunday it had sent a notice to Facebook Inc., asking it to clarify the wrongful representation of Vietnam’s sovereignty over the two archipelagoes on its map. The map depicts the archipelagoes as Chinese territory at a time when the international community has backed criticism of China’s recent actions in the disputed South China Sea, which Vietnam calls the East Sea. A Facebook representative has responded that there was some “confusion” over the map, that it is a technical error without political intention, said Le Quang Tu Do, an official from the communication ministry. The issue is being investigated and measures will be taken soon to deal with it, the representative added. As of Monday morning, the map has not been … [Read more...] about Vietnam demands Facebook fix wrong depiction of its sovereignty
Vietnam calls for calm negotiations over maritime conduct
By Viet Anh  June 28, 2018 | 03:44 pm GMT+7 Avoid complicating issues, Vietnam urges as ASEAN, China work on code of conduct in the South China Sea. Vietnam wants all parties to say calm and work for a Code of Conduct that is enforceable and regulates the behavior of all parties in disputed waters of the South China Sea under international law, a senior official said. The country is worried about China’s military actions that go against regional declaration of conduct in the South China Sea, because they can negatively impact negotiations on a Code of Conduct for the disputed waters, which is known in Vietnam as the East Sea. Vietnamese deputy foreign minister Nguyen Quoc Dung said Wednesday that China’s island reconstruction and installation and testing of military equipment in disputed areas went against the Declaration on the Conduct (DOC) of the Parties in the South China Sea. He was speaking at the 15th ASEAN-China Senior Officials Meeting on … [Read more...] about Vietnam calls for calm negotiations over maritime conduct
US weighs more South China Sea patrols to confront ‘new reality’ of China
The United States is considering intensified naval patrols in the South China Sea in a bid to challenge China’s growing militarization of the waterway, actions that could further raise the stakes in one of the world’s most volatile areas. The Pentagon is weighing a more assertive program of so-called freedom-of-navigation operations close to Chinese installations on disputed reefs, two U.S. officials and Western and Asian diplomats close to discussions said. The officials declined to say how close they were to finalizing a decision. Such moves could involve longer patrols, ones involving larger numbers of ships or operations involving closer surveillance of Chinese facilities in the area, which now include electronic jamming equipment and advanced military radars. U.S. officials are also pushing international allies and partners to increase their own naval deployments through the vital trade route as China strengthens its military capabilities on both the Paracel and … [Read more...] about US weighs more South China Sea patrols to confront ‘new reality’ of China