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Photo: LDO |
US Senator Benjamin Cardin has rebuked China’s recent unilateral and provocative actions in the East Sea which he said threaten not only Vietnam’s security but also the safety, security and freedom of navigation in the region.
Chinese actions also affect the US’s interest, said Cardin, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on East Asian and Pacific Affairs, at a press briefing in Hanoi on May 28.
He told media workers that increased tension in the East Sea was high on the agenda of his meetings with Vietnamese officials on May 27-28.
Cardin confirmed that the US attaches importance to maritime safety and security and it raises concern about China’s unilateral and provocative actions in the East Sea.
He called on parties concerned to exercise restraint and settle the territorial dispute through peaceful measures in line with international law.
The US supports ASEAN in formulating a code of conduct (COC) in the East Sea with China, Cardin stressed.
At the press briefing, Cardin said the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations has passed a resolution condemning China’s provocation and the resolution would be submitted to the Senate for consideration in the coming time.
Tension has mounted in the East Sea after China positioned its giant floating oil rig Haiyang Shiyou-981 deep inside Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf on May 1, 2014.
China even deployed a flotilla to protect the rig and its escort vessels, including military ships, accompanied by aircraft, have rammed civil Vietnamese boats, injuring a number of sailors and damaging their property.
China’s provocative actions have received strong opposition from politicians, organisations and peace-loving people around the globe.
On May 9th, Cardin and five other US Senators released a statement, calling upon the US to stop its provocative actions. They also urged the Congress to issue a resolution on the issue.
Cardin led a delegation of US Senators from the Senate Subcommittee on East Asian and Pacific Affairs on a visit to Vietnam on May 27-28.
Besides the East Sea tension, Cardin had frank and open talks on Vietnam-US cooperation with Vietnamese officials. He acknowledged Vietnam’s progress in human rights and public governance.
Both sides agreed to implement cooperation projects in the areas of the environment and climate change adaptation, especially post-war dioxin remediation.
They stressed the importance of the comprehensive partnership between Vietnam and the US and expressed their desires to develop the partnership in a substantial manner.
After Vietnam, Cardin will fly to Singapore where he is scheduled to attend the annual Shangri-la Dialogue and meet with Chinese representatives on the current East Sea tension./.