Many countries have demanded that related parties must avoid activities that can possibly increase tension in and not militarize the South China Sea (called East Sea by Vietnam), Hanoi has said.

Spokesperson of Vietnam’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang at Thursday press conference. Photo: MOFA

Representatives of many countries at the 37th ASEAN Summit and the 15th East Asia Summit held last week expressed concern over the South China Sea situation, urging related parties to raise sense of responsibility and stop militarization, Spokesperson of Vietnam’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang said Thursday.

They voiced over the need to respect international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) 1982, and solve conflicts with peaceful means.

The countries also called on ASEAN member states and China to resume the negotiations on the Code of Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (COC) and boost the implementation of the Declaration of the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC), Ms. Hang said.

The aforementioned content was fully mentioned in the Chairman’s Statement of the 37th ASEAN Summit and the 15th East Asia Summit, according to the spokesperson.

At the two summits, participating countries agreed that the South China Sea plays a crucial part in the maintenance of security and socio-economic development in the post-pandemic period and emphasized the need to boost maritime cooperation and use maritime resources sustainably.