Australia affirms continued support for freedom of navigation in East Sea
Australia will continue to strongly advocate the freedom of navigation through the South China Sea (called the East Sea in Vietnam), Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on July 16.
Fishing vessels operating in East Sea (Source: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) - Australia will continue to strongly advocate the freedomof navigation through the South China Sea (called the East Sea in Vietnam),Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on July 16.
“Australia willcontinue to adopt a very consistent position,” Morrison told a media briefingin Canberra when asked about Australia’s stance on US Secretary of State MichaelR. Pompeo’s latest statement on the South China Sea issue.
On July 13, Pompeoaffirmed that “the United States champions a free and open Indo-Pacific”, and theChina’s claims to offshore resources across most of the South China Sea arecompletely unlawful.
Regarding Pompeo’sstatement, the Vietnamese Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson Le Thi Thu Hang saidon July 15 that Vietnam welcomes other countries’ stance on the East Sea issuein line with international law.
Peace, stability,cooperation, and development in the sea are the aspiration and goal of countriesin the East Sea and the region as well as the international community, shesaid, adding that the respect of maritime legal order and the full andresponsible implementation of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law ofthe Sea (1982 UNCLOS) are significant in realising these goals.
Vietnam hopes thatcountries will make efforts to contribute to maintaining peace, stability, andcooperation in the East Sea and settle disputes through dialogues and otherpeaceful measures in accordance with international law, for the common interestsand in line with the aspiration of regional nations and the internationalcommunity. Vietnam always actively and responsibly contributes to the process, statedHang./.
The US Department of Defence on July 2 voiced its concern about China’s decision to conduct military exercises around the Hoang Sa (Paracel) Archipelago in the East Sea on July 1-5.
Prof. Vladimir Kolotov from the Saint Petersburg State University has said Vietnam, in its capacity as ASEAN Chair, played an active role in seeking solutions to basic issues faced by the region at the 36th ASEAN Summit.
US Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo affirmed on July 13 that the People’s Republic of China (PRC)’s claims to offshore resources across most of the South China Sea (called the East Sea in Vietnam) are completely unlawful, as is its campaign of bullying to control them.
Vietnam welcomes other countries’ stance on the East Sea issue in line with international law, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Le Thi Thu Hang said on July 15.
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Fishing vessels operating in East Sea (Source: VNA) 
