Nearly 300 experts from all over the world and 58 domestic and foreign news agencies gathered at an annual international conference on the South China Sea which opened in Hanoi on November 6.

The 11th South China Sea International Conference attracts hundreds of experts and representatives from embassies in Hanoi. Photo: Baoquocte

The 11th South China Sea International Conference with the theme “Cooperation for Regional Security and Development” highlights maritime security, law on the sea, economic development and maritime environment protection.

The event aims to bring international scholars together in researches on the South China Sea and those of common concern about the sea, promoting the researches domestically and internationally.

This year's conference features some new dimensions namely encouraging a broader view on the South China Sea (East Sea in Vietnamese) which (1) connects oceans and maintains the enforcement of international law; (2) treasures the united connection among oceans and continents; (3) encourages the participation of policy makers; (4) has a session on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) 1982 on the occasion of the 25th enforcement of the convention and Vietnam’s accession to the treaty; (5) receives great support from a large number of domestic and foreign sponsors.

The conference is expected to continue straightforward dialogues with an aim to build peace, friendship and partnership in the South China Sea (SCS) for mutual interests of the international communities.

At the event, a broader approach will also be made to connect SCS with other oceans namely East China Sea, Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean.

The first day’s sessions focused on SCS in competing visions; a grand celebration of the 25th anniversary of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which has been the bedrock of the rules-based order at sea over the last 25 years; SCS in multilateral forums.

Experts discussed the multilateralism in promoting the rule of law in settling SCS issues. They affirmed the important role of ASEAN in building up a strong and prosperous region and solving maritime conflicts.

ASEAN will continue its centrality in building regional cooperation mechanisms that help balance interests of big nations amid fierce competition among powers.

The second day’s sessions will cover six roundtables, such as reducing grey areas for better management; preserving fish stock for next generations; saving the ocean from pollution; contests in East China Sea; the Indian and Pacific: the convergence of two oceans; Polar Regions: new frontiers.