East Sea tensions take centre stage at ASEAN meetings Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh has expressed deep concern about recent East Sea tensions, especially Chinese placement of its oil platform Haiyang Shiyou-981 in Vietnam’s waters, and said more efforts are needed to prevent similar actions in the future. Addressing the ASEAN-China meeting in Myanmar on August 9, Minh reiterated Vietnam’s stance of respecting international law and settling territorial disputes through peaceful measures. He proposed three groups of solutions, including measures and mechanisms for realising and fully and effectively implementing the 2002 ASEAN-China Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), especially its Article 5 which makes clear parties concerned are not allowed to carry out activities to complicate the situation. He urged parties concerned [ASEAN and China] to conduct substantial negotiations and soon reach an agreement on a Code of Conduct (COC) – a more legally binding document than DOC to tackle regional territorial disputes.    Alongside implementing the DOC and negotiating the COC, Minh stressed the need to take immediate measures, like setting up hotlines to alert incidents or possible risks to safety, maritime security in the region. Vietnamese Deputy Foreign Minister Pham Quang Vinh told the media after the meeting that representatives of participating countries shared Minh’s concerns and welcomed his proposals. China even agreed on these solutions, Vinh said. Singaporean Foreign Minister K. Shanmugam called on China to refrain from further actions in the East Sea, and said both sides [ASEAN and China] need to work out following steps, with the ultimate goal of negotiating and signing a COC. Philippines Secretary of Foreign Affairs Albert del Rosario said increased provocative and aggressive actions in the East Sea are threatening regional peace, security, stability and prosperity. He urged ASEAN to ask parties concerned to immediately end actions that may fuel escalations in the East Sea. Albert del Rosario presented the Philippines’ Triple Action Plan (TAP) – an initiative that seeks to reduce and manage tensions in the East Sea. The East Sea issue was once again hotly debated at the ASEAN-EU Ministerial Meeting during which Deputy PM Minh shared views of ASEAN and its partner that a greater effort is needed to ensure an environment of peace, stability and cooperation in the region, including peace, security, safety and freedom of navigation in the East Sea. He recalled China’s recent oil rig Haiyang Shiyou-981 case and said parties concerned must fully observe the ASEAN Six-Point Principles and ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ statement dated May 10, 2014, that requires parties concerned to conform with international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and DOC, exercise restraint, and resolve disputes peacefully. At a sidelines meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Myanmar, Deputy PM Minh affirmed Chinese placement of its oil platform in Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf is a serious violation of international law, including the 1982 UNCLOS. Before leaving for ASEAN+ meetings in Myanmar, US Secretary of State John Kerry proposed a freeze on provocative acts in the East Sea. He called on China and countries involved in the disputed waters to take voluntary steps towards easing tensions, alongside building the COC in the East Sea. US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Russel also said China, a world power, needs to exercise restraint in territorial disputes in the East Sea. However, ASEAN Secretary General Le Luong Minh said ASEAN Ministers would not discuss Kerry’s proposal as ASEAN and China have a 2002 mechanism for preventing such actions as land reclamation or construction on islands or coral reefs in the contested waters.  He said ASEAN needs to urge China to seriously and effectively fulfil its commitments and work closely with ASEAN to soon reach the COC. At a press briefing in Myanmar on August 9, Thailand Foreign Minister Sihasak Phungketkeow said ASEAN Foreign Ministers wants to boost the full realisation of the DOC and official consultations on the COC. The next round of consultations will take place in Thailand in October. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said China is ready for dialogue and cooperation with East Sea countries to maintain peace, stability and development in the region. He pledged to work on the draft provisions of the COC with ASEAN in late 2014, in order to conduct official negotiations of the COC.  VOV