Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnamshould make greater efforts to get stronger support from the internationalcommunity in the South China Sea (called the East Sea in Vietnam) issues and holdmore activities similar to South China Sea International Conferences, a leadingforeign expert has suggested.

Talking with reporters on thesidelines of the 11th South China Sea International Conference inHanoi on November 6 and 7, Carl Thayer, Emeritus Professor at the University ofNew South Wales, Australia, said Vietnam should also make the most of the ASEANchairmanship in 2020 to take the lead in raising voices against China’s unsuitableactions in the waters.

Thayer said China is promoting itsnine-dash line claim in an attempt to unilaterally conquer the South China Seato serve its ambition to become a rising power in Asia.

Sharing this view, Greg Poling,Director of the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative at the US-based Centerfor Strategic & International Studies, said by making the nine-dash lineclaim, China is attempting to prevent Southeast Asian nations, includingVietnam, from carrying out oil and gas projects in the South China Sea.

China wants to force the regionalnations to either stop exploration for oil and gas in the South China Sea orpartnering with Chinese companies, Poling elaborated.

The expert said China has sentmore and more ships to the South China Sea and chased vessels and fishermen ofother countries away from the waters. These are not actions of a nation that wishesto partner with regional states, he said, adding that China is seeking to forceother countries to do what it wants.

To cope with China’s aggressiveactions in the South China Sea, Dr. Tomotaka Shoji from the Japan NationalInstitute for Defense Studies suggested that the observance of internationallaw must be closely monitored not only in the waters but also in any regions inthe world.

Nations across the world shouldstep up cooperation with the regional countries and it is necessary to encouragethe settlement of disagreements and disputes in the South China Sea and otherinternational oceans based on regulations of the 1982 United Nations Conventionon the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) to ensure safety and freedom of navigation andaviation, he said.

Meanwhile, James Kraska, EmeritusProfessor at the US-based Stockton Center for International Law, advised theregional nations to put aside disagreements and reach consensus on thesettlement of disputes in the South China Sea.

The regional states should alsoexpand commercial, diplomatic and military ties with outside nations to gainwider support from the international community to oppose China’s violations ofinternational law, he added./.