Da Nang (VNA) – The 10th South China Sea InternationalConference, themed “Cooperation for Regional Security and Development”, openedin the central city of Da Nang on November 8, bringing together over 250domestic and foreign scholars, academics, and diplomats.

The event was co-held by the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam (DAV), theFoundation for East Sea Studies (FESS), and the Vietnam Lawyers’ Association(VLA) to review the  latest developments,identify the drivers behind tension and stability, and explore differentavenues for conflict management and resolution in the East Sea region.

Marking the 10th anniversary of the inaugurationof the initiative, this year's conference will also move beyond an annualreview to take stock of the transformations in the East Sea across many sectorsover the last decade.

The event includeseight sessions, entitled “East Sea: the Heart of the Indo-Asia-PacificRegion”, “East Sea in the Spotlight: a 10-Year Recap”, “Evolving Claims and Positions over the East Sea: Continuities and Changes”, “Major Powers: Engagements orDisengagements?”, “The Buildup of Forces in the East Sea”, “Confidence Building”, “Preventative Diplomacy”, and “DisputeResolution, Order, and Disorder in the East Sea: Reflections”.

In his opening remarks, DAV President Assoc. Prof. Dr.Nguyen Vu Tung, said that the last decade has seen increased connectivitybetween the Pacific and Indian Oceans, featuring great impacts on politics ofAsia and the world at large in the 21st century.

The first session will discuss the geopoliticalcontext of the Indo-Asia-Pacific Region to evaluate the importance of the EastSea in global geopolitical competition and to explore the links between eventsin the East Sea and recent developments in the Indian Ocean, Pacific Ocean, andEast China Sea, as well as the regional political landscape.

The second session will review thecurrent situation of the East Sea compared to its position 10 years ago to seehow it has changed over time in the eyes of various governments and concernedparties, said Cleo Paskal who is Associate Fellow at the Department of Energy,Environment, and Resources, as well as at the Asia-Pacific Programme at ChathamHouse in the United Kingdom.

Paskal, who is also the moderator ofthe session, added that the session will also examine various ways of reportinga historical incident in order to identify the similarities and differences in themindset, perception, and interpretation of the event and how the truth has beentwisted only to further complicate the situation.

The third session will provide asummary of the positions and claims of concerned parties over the past tenyears, during which speakers will analyse official statements and legaldocuments of each side to see how they changed their approaches to applying andinterpreting the law of the sea, noted Prof. Robert Beckman, head of the OceanLaw and Policy Programme at the National University of Singapore’s Centre forInternational Law.

In the sixth session, delegates willlook at the process of confidence building, preventative diplomacy, and disputeresolution in the East Sea, said the US Department of State Assistant LegalAdviser for East Asia and Pacific Affairs Robert Harris.

Though tensions have always existed,the last decade saw some positive developments, particularly when ASEAN andChina started negotiations on a Code of Conduct in the East Sea in early 2018.The two sides have also launched an emergency hotline and discussed theexpansion of the Code for Unplanned Encounters at Sea (CUEs). Meanwhile, someinvolved parties are discussing the possibility of joint exploitation anddemarcation at sea.

The participants will also proposesolutions to maintain a secured region for all parties to grow together in thefuture.

The conference will run throughNovember 9.–VNA