(VOVworld) -  International scholars have expressed grave concern about the escalating tensions in the East Sea triggerd by China’s provocative acts to claim sovereignty there, saying this could lead to a global crisis. They were attending a seminar in Washington on Tuesday called “Philippines, Vietnam and territorial disputes in the East Sea”. They agreed on the illegitimacy of China’s nine-dot line claim. Hoang Anh Tuan, head of the Institute for Foreign Policy and Strategic Studies under the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam, said the so-called “nine-dot” line China has drawn in the East Sea is the main cause of the tensions in the East Sea.

A Vietnamese fishing vessel being attacked by a Chinese ship

Another seminar entitled “Developments in the East Sea: legal aspects and trade impacts” took place on Tuesday in Brussels, Belgium where Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son thanked the international community, and particularly Belgium and the EU, for supporting Vietnam’s condemnation of China’s transgressions in the East Sea. He confirmed Vietnam’s determination to stick with peaceful means to resolve the tensions.

On behalf of EU parliamentarians, Marc Tarabella, who is in charge of ASEAN at the European Parliament, voiced his concern about the negative effect the East Sea dispute is having on world trade. Tarabella said the EU is willing to serve as an intermediary to help resolve the dispute diplomatically.