(VOVworld) – On Tuesday, the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) held its 5^th annual East Sea workshop for scholars to discuss the latest developments and propose policies for the East Sea.

Dr. John Hamre, CSIS President, spoke at the workshop.

The workshop focused on recent developments in the region, legal issues, the strategic balance and engagement in a crisis simulation. The key issues discussed include the Philippines’ lawsuit against China at the UN’s Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) and China’s illegal construction of islands. The scholars said if the court at the Hague rules in favor of the Philippines, it will be a great encouragement for possible legal resolution to other East Sea issues. But they said that the court’s ruling is legally binding but has no jurisdiction, and so will not considerably affect China’s behavior. Regarding China’s illegal islands construction, scholars accused it of changing the status-quo in the East Sea. Daniel Russel, assistant to US Secretary of State, said that China was  carrying out this activity at an ever-faster pace. Bonnie Glaser, CSIS’s senior adviser for Asia, said China’s construction of runways on the artificial islands is aimed at enhancing its presense and control in the East Sea. She did not exclude military purposes from these activities.