Dr. Lee Jaehyon delivers a lecture at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies,  June 27, 2019.  (Photo: the Asan Institute for Policy Studies)

Mr. Lee said China’s acts are causing major security concerns for Southeast Asian countries, including Vietnam, and warned that China is applying the tactic of gradually monopolizing the East Sea under the so-called “nine-dash line” strategy, building infrastructure and enhancing militarisation on the islands and reefs in the East Sea.

Mr. Lee noted that there is an extant legal framework governing the waters, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982 (UNCLOS 1982) and the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC), with China  among the signatories. The pacts stipulate that all disputes in the region and the East Sea must be handled by peaceful means.

Mr. Lee stressed that it is clear  China has failed to comply with  international laws and treaties, and only with due respect to the law can the issue be settled peacefully. He added that there should be a stronger consensus in the international community so as to mount pressure on China, making Beijing aware of the consequences brought by its own actions in the East Sea.