Indian scholar rebukes China’s illegal act
(VOV) - India’s Merinews.com on June 4 ran an article analysis written by Vinod Anand - a senior expert from the Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF), criticizing the illegal placement by its oil rig Haiyang Shiyou - 981 in Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf.
Vinod Anand said that China's actions aim to demonstrate its "military strength" in the region with the intention of forcing Vietnam to abandon or at least ease claims over oil-rich region within the jurisdiction of Vietnam under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
China has long taken the territorial claims in the East Sea based on the so-called "nine-dash” line which has no legal and historical basis and is not accepted by any principle of international law.
Clearly, China has adopted a long-term strategy along the land and sea borders in an attempt to occupy the lands and waters they claim as their own.
In recent years, China has used legal, psychological and media warfares in order to achieve their goals.
According to Mr. Vinod Anand, India and the international community are concerned about the impacts caused by China's actions in the East Sea.
Maritime freedom in the East Sea is a must as more than 50% of tankers with more than US$5,300 billion worth of trade value pass through the East Sea every year.
India resolutely supports ASEAN countries in freedom of navigation in the East Sea as well as measures to resolve the dispute based on international law and UNCLOS, he said.