South China Sea Cooperation: History and Prospects

On December 12 and 13, 2012, the University of Social Sciences and Humanities (VNU), in collaboration with the University of Social Sciences and Humanities (VNU-HCM) and the Academy of Politics and Public Administration, Region III, co-organized a national scientific conference with the theme: Historical and Prospective Cooperation in the East Sea. The conference was attended by representatives of scientists from three regions with a total of 55 reports. The conference was divided into two subcommittees. Subcommittee 1: Cooperation in the East Sea: Historical issues First of all, historical documents all affirm Vietnam's sovereignty over the Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagos. Among the 56 maps from the 16th to the 19th centuries, recorded by Westerners, all show that the Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagos belong to Vietnamese territory. At the same time, these maps also indicate that the farthest island belonging to Chinese territory is Hainan Island. The records in the Western maps also coincide with the geographical research section in the official history of the Chinese empire from the Han to the Qing dynasties. Second, researchers all agree that with over 3,000km of coastline, Vietnam is a maritime nation. The sea is the living space of the Vietnamese people in history, an inseparable sacred part of the Fatherland. On Ly Son Island, there are still temples and tombs of families and clans and their children who have stuck to the sea and islands for thousands of years to protect the Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagos. Researchers suggest that it is necessary to learn from the experiences of feudal states, using experienced people at sea here to report on the sea, stick to the islands, and protect the sea and islands. Third, researchers prove that China has never been a maritime nation in history. Confucianism, French, and agriculture are the ideological and economic foundations of ancient China. Only since the reform and opening up has China had the ambition to monopolize the East Sea to serve its development interests. Subcommittee 2: East Sea Cooperation: Current situation and prospects In this Subcommittee, the presentations and opinions focus on discussing the following issues: The change in the geostrategic environment of the East Sea related to the rise of China; the role of countries in the East Sea dispute such as the US, Japan, India, ASEAN; the prospect of resolving conflicts in the East Sea; Vietnam's viewpoint. Although there are many different opinions, all opinions agree that Vietnam must strengthen cooperation, take advantage of the international community's consulting capabilities, knowledge and technology support, strengthen foreign affairs and international cooperation, manage exploitation, develop a sustainable economy, and promote the academicization of the East Sea issue to reduce tension, incorrect understanding and gain international consensus. The biggest challenge is the formation of a Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC) because the parties' views on territorial issues, sovereignty or maritime regimes are very different. In the immediate future, ASEAN must quickly promote the completion of the COC and reduce tensions in relations in the South China Sea. To do this, restraint and cooperation from all parties are required. Before there is a radical solution, it is necessary to implement confidence-building measures such as increasing exchanges and discussions at the informal level with the aim of reducing tensions, enhancing mutual trust, establishing hotlines at the operational level between the navies and coast guards of the countries in the region, agreeing on notifications of exercises in the South China Sea and facilitating search and rescue operations. The disputing countries must avoid expanding their occupation, but it is best to maintain the status quo. The aim is to enhance crisis management capabilities and lay the foundation for an agreement on rules and procedures for resolving conflicts in the future. Despite the challenges posed by conflicting claims in the South China Sea, it is important to acknowledge that China is currently the main driving force for the development of Southeast Asia and ASEAN, so it is necessary to continue to ensure peace and stability. As a rising power with an increasing global presence, handling relations with China well will have a great impact on other regions and on a global scale. Therefore, Vietnam needs to be more proactive and positive in cooperating with countries in the region, aiming to peacefully resolve conflicts. As a training and research institution, the University of Social Sciences and Humanities will continue to enhance exchange, academic, training and research activities, contributing to mutual understanding and trust.