The tension in the East Sea emerged as a key security challenge that could hinder the dream of an Asian-Pacific community, Vietnamese Ambassador to India Ton Sinh Thanh said at a dialogue security challenges in the Asian-Pacific region held recently in New Delhi, India.

Themed “The Asia-Pacific Century: India and Big Power Engagement”, the December 19 event drew numerous experts and diplomats from China, the US, Russia and ASEAN member countries.

In his speech, Ambassador Ton Sinh Thanh noted that peace and stability in Southeast Asia, particularly in the East Sea, is an inseparable part of peace and security in the Indian and Pacific Oceans.

Vietnamese Ambassador to India Ton Sinh Thanh (Photo: VNA)

The Ambassador voiced his concerns over complicated developments in the East Sea, citing China’s construction of artificial islands on an unprecedented scale in the East Sea as a contributor to worsening the situation there.

He confirmed that Viet Nam has full legal foundation and historical evidence to prove its sovereignty and jurisdiction over Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagoes. The country is resolved to protect its sovereignty, sovereign rights, jurisdiction and legitimate interests in the East Sea, he said.

Prof. Baladash Ghoshal from the Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies (IPCS) and Profl. GVC Naidu from Jawaharlal Nehru University told Viet Nam News Agency correspondents that the East Sea issue has become one of the region’s biggest security challenges. They called for increased cooperation among nations to reach a Code of Conduct in the East Sea which is significant to peace, stability, and prosperity in the region.

(Source: VNA)