Chinese bombers’
landing and take-off drills on an airfield in Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago,
which belongs to Vietnam but is occupied by China, are causing deep concerns
and facing strong opposition from many countries regionally and globally.
After an array of
activities to illegally reclaim and construct military facilities and bases in
the East Sea and the deployment of weapons on artificial islands that were
illegally built in Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelago, China’s latest move in
Hoang Sa has evidenced the country’s continued acceleration of militarising the
East Sea regardless of international opposition.
Japanese Defence
Minister Itsunori Onodera said this is the next step of China to unilaterally
change the status quo in the East Sea. Meanwhile, spokesman of the US Pentagon
Christopher Logan said China’s continued militarisation only serves to raise
tensions and destabilise the region.
At the ongoing G20 foreign ministers’ meeting in Buenos
Aires of Argentina, Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop raised her
country’s concerns about China’s militarisation in the East Sea.
Philippine presidential spokesman Harry Roque also expressed
serious concerns on the move’s impact on efforts to maintain peace and
stability in the region.
This is not the first time China’s unilateral military moves
have encountered international criticism.
In early May 2018, in response to the Chinese missile
deployment in the structures that it built illegally in Vietnam’s Truong Sa
archipelago, the US warned about near-term and long-term consequences, noting
that China cannot and should not have a hostile attitude in the East Sea.
Chief of the US
Pacific Command Admiral Philip Davidson, who took office on May 18, said
China’s actions affirm its intention to control the East Sea.
Echoing the view,
Gregory Poling, a fellow at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies,
said China is crossing an important threshold. The missile deployment is a
clear threat to other claimants and furthers China’s goal of establishing
complete control over the water and airspace of the East Sea.
China’s deployment of weapons in the structures it illegally
built in the East Sea and its large-scale military moves in the waters clearly
run counter to commitments the country made not to militarise the East Sea.
This is also contrary to the Declaration on the Conduct of
Parties in the East Sea (DOC), signed by China and the member states of the Association
of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 2002, which requires the countries to
maintain the status quo and not complicate the East Sea situation.
Moreover, China made these moves when it and the ASEAN
countries reached an important common perception in together building a Code of
Conduct (COC) of parties in the East Sea towards a transparent and rule-based
regional architecture and an East Sea of peace and stability.
The Chinese moves undermine and hamper negotiation efforts
to finalise the COC, which aims to create prerequisites for the settlement of
East Sea disputes and maintain peace, stability, security and safety of
navigation in the region.
China’s deployment of bombers and missiles in the East Sea
has run counter to international law and seriously violated Vietnam’s
sovereignty, in both legal and historical aspects, over Hoang Sa and Truong Sa
archipelagoes.
Those activities have affected the friendship and
comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between Vietnam and China. They
have also breached the two countries’ agreement on basic principles guiding the
settlement of sea-related issues as well as the common perception shared
between the countries’ leaders to solve obstacles in the East Sea issue. The
two sides previously agreed to continue implementing the DOC in a comprehensive
and effective manner, soon build the COC, control sea-related disagreements
well and not take actions complicating the situation.
China’s sending of weapons to illegal structures in Hoang Sa
and Truong Sa only raises tensions and blights trust among parties involved in
the East Sea issue.
As a big country with an important role in the international
arena, China has the responsibility to adjust its behaviour in the East Sea on
the basis of international law, end all unilateral actions complicating the
situation, show a constructive attitude and contribute to the maintenance of
peace, stability, friendship and cooperation in the region.-VNA
(Souce: vietnamplus.vn)
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