"Disputes in the South China Sea must be resolved peacefully."

- VOA Reporter: Sir, why do you believe that the disputed territory belongs to Vietnam??

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pham Quang MinhAt least four pieces of legal evidence affirm Vietnam's sovereignty over the Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagos:

Firstly, from the late 19th century, the French colonialists ruled Vietnam and continuously carried out many activities to assert their sovereignty over the Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagos, openly declaring their sovereignty over these two archipelagos from 1933. France also maintained control over these two archipelagos until the end of World War II and officially transferred that control to the State of Vietnam on October 15, 1950.

Secondly, a series of international negotiations and declarations, including the Cairo Declaration of 1943, the Potsdam Declaration of 1945, the San Francisco Treaty of 1951, and even the Joint Declaration between the People's Republic of China and Japan in 1972, when the two countries normalized relations, did not list the Paracel and Spratly Islands among the territories that Japan had to return to China.

Thirdly, at the San Francisco Conference in September 1951, the Soviet Union's proposal to cede the Paracel and Spratly Islands to China was rejected by representatives of 46 out of the 51 participating countries. Also attending this conference, the then Prime Minister of Vietnam, Mr. Tran Van Huu, declared in the seventh session: "To extinguish any potential future disputes, we affirm Vietnam's long-standing sovereignty over the Paracel and Spratly Islands." This declaration did not encounter any opposition or rejection from any of the participating countries.

Fourth, at the 1954 Geneva Conference, which suspended hostilities in Indochina, all participating nations, including the People's Republic of China, recognized the independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Vietnam. Although Vietnam was temporarily divided at the 17th parallel, the then State of Vietnam and later the Republic of Vietnam had the right to administer and exercise sovereignty over the Paracel and Spratly Islands from 1954 to 1975. When the war against the US ended, the unified Vietnamese state – the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – immediately inherited and continuously exercised its sovereignty over the Paracel and Spratly Islands, a sovereignty that had been exercised by Vietnamese representatives throughout history.

In short, these are irrefutable international legal proofs of Vietnam's legitimate sovereignty over the Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagos.

Scene from the interview (Photo: Dinh Hau)

- VOA reporter: Why is this territory so important to your country??

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pham Quang MinhThis territory is very important to Vietnam from many different perspectives:

Firstly, geographically, Vietnam is a maritime nation with a coastline of 3,260 km, over 1 million km2 of sea surface area, and more than 100 deep-sea ports convenient for transportation. This coastline stretches across the territory of 29 out of 63 provinces and cities of the country, where 20 million Vietnamese people live, accounting for more than a quarter of Vietnam's population.

Secondly, economically, the estimated oil reserves in Vietnam's waters account for 25% of the total oil reserves in the South China Sea. Vietnam extracts approximately 20 million tons of crude oil annually, contributing up to 24% of the country's GDP. In addition, Vietnam also extracts about 1.5-1.8 million tons of seafood annually in the South China Sea. Vietnam has cooperation agreements with most major international oil and gas corporations such as VietsoPetro, BP, Total, ExxonMobil, and Conoco Phillips.

Thirdly, from a geostrategic perspective, Vietnam lies on the world's busiest shipping lane connecting the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. Over 70% of goods from China, Japan, and South Korea are transported annually through this area, and over 50% of the world's shipping passes through it. The South China Sea also connects mainland Southeast Asia with island Southeast Asia, forming a unified entity. The South China Sea is closely linked to the peace and security of the entire Southeast Asian and Asia-Pacific regions.

- VOA reporter: Why are these disputes becoming so tense now?

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pham Quang Minh:After more than three decades of reform and opening up, China is rising as a superpower with ambitions for global hegemony, threatening the United States' number one position. The South China Sea is one of the key areas in China's strategy to realize its dream. By deploying the Haiyang 981 oil rig deep into Vietnam's continental shelf and exclusive economic zone in May 2014, China wanted to simultaneously test multiple different entities.

Firstly, regarding the US: China has expressed its opposition to the US administration's "pivot" strategy toward Asia, especially after President Barack Obama's visit in April 2014 to four countries: Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, and the Philippines.

Secondly, regarding ASEAN: China wants to test the "consensus" of ASEAN countries ahead of the summit in Myanmar. ASEAN unity was threatened in 2012, when Cambodia held the ASEAN chairmanship, and after the summit, no joint statement from ASEAN leaders was issued.

Thirdly, regarding Vietnam: China wants to test the reaction of its "strategic partner," Vietnam. For China, Vietnam is a country with a special position in terms of history (a thousand years of Chinese rule), geography (mountains connected to mountains, rivers connected to rivers), politics (similar political systems), and economics (trade deficit with China).

Fourthly, for the international community: The world is preoccupied with other security issues such as Ukraine, Iraq, the Korean Peninsula, etc., and therefore may not pay attention to the South China Sea issue.

In short, it was the right time for China to demonstrate its strength.

- VOA reporter:  Is it possible to resolve these disputes peacefully?

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pham Quang Minh:I believe it is possible, but only on the condition that China abandons its threatening actions, commits to not using force or threatening to use force in its relations with other countries, respects the independence and sovereignty of small and weak countries, and respects the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and especially the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC), to which China is a party.

- VOA reporter:  What role should the United States play in the South China Sea conflict?

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pham Quang Minh:The United States should play a more constructive and active role. As a Pacific nation, the U.S. has core interests in the region and strategic allies there. It is crucial that the U.S. foster trust and avoid misunderstandings among all parties involved in the disputes. Specifically, the U.S. must clarify its strategy in the region, urge China to respect the 1982 UNCLOS and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC), and cooperate with ASEAN to move towards a Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC) as soon as possible. The U.S. can act as a mediator in negotiations between China and ASEAN, preventing China from bullying smaller nations. Furthermore, the U.S. can strengthen cooperation with ASEAN, helping its members consolidate and build their capabilities and internal strength.

- VOA reporter: What is ASEAN's important role in conflict resolution?

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pham Quang Minh:ASEAN is a regional organization comprising 10 countries. Since its founding in 1967, ASEAN has proven to be a successful organization in regional security matters. There has been no war among its members. In the 1980s, ASEAN played an active role in the reconciliation process in Cambodia. ASEAN also established norms and rules governing relations between nations, which are recognized by all major powers. In 1994, ASEAN established the ASEAN Regional Forum, the region's first successful multilateral security mechanism involving all major powers. Regarding the South China Sea dispute, China was forced to acknowledge ASEAN as a negotiating party for the first time when it signed the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea in 2002. What China does not want is to delay negotiations on a Code of Conduct in the South China Sea and only want to negotiate on a bilateral basis with each ASEAN country involved in the dispute. The issue for ASEAN is to reach a consensus and consider the South China Sea conflict as a regional issue affecting the entire Association, not just the countries involved. ASEAN needs to recognize that if China can place an oil rig on Vietnam's continental shelf, it could do the same to other countries in the future.

- VOA reporter: Finally, do you have anything else you'd like to add?

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pham Quang Minh:Vietnam has experienced many wars with numerous sacrifices and losses. More than anyone else, Vietnam understands the value of peace. The Vietnamese government and people do not wish to wage war with anyone. Therefore, Vietnam desires to peacefully resolve conflicts in the East Sea on the basis of negotiation, respect for Vietnam's independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity, and based on international law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

- VOA Reporter: Thank you for your answer.