At the seminar entitled, “Cooperation for regional peace, security and development in the new context”, almost 80 experts from China, the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Japan, Taiwan (China) and Vietnam discussed the strategic position of the East Sea, new developments in the East Sea and its impacts on regional peace and security.
Solutions to maintain peace, security and development in the region with a focus on building trust, managing conflicts and cooperating in non-traditional security fields in the new context were also high on the agenda of the seminar.
To resolve disputes in the East Sea, they said peaceful negotiations, though time-consuming as they are to meet the interests of concerned nations, must continue to be held.
The negotiations must be based on international laws, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, as well as the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea towards building the Code of Conduct in the East Sea, they said.
The experts proposed expanding regional network to attract experts from other countries to study and exchange views on related issues and including three major issues relating to the East Sea – territory, security and economics – within the ASEAN+3 framework.
These issues can be dealt with one by one but must be placed in a general context and considered in relation to history, psychology and scholars’ role, they noted.
They suggested the disputes could be settled by considering shared interests for cooperation and confidence building, along with acts of goodwill and positive response.
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