ASEAN – US Concerns Over Actions Against International Law in the South China Sea | World



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UNCLOS 1982 is the legal basis for all activities at sea

On the morning of November 14, the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs updated the results of the 8th ASEAN-US Summit, chaired by Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, President of ASEAN 2020, in the online form.

At the conference, the US reaffirmed the importance of complying with international law, unhindered trade, and supporting coastal states to exercise sovereignty over marine resources in accordance with provisions of the United Nations Convention on the 1982 Law of the Sea (UNCLOS 1982).

The leaders of both parties also affirmed that the countries must come together to contribute to maintaining a peaceful and stable environment in the region and the world.
Emphasizing the vast Pacific waters attached to the security and development space of the ASEAN countries and the United States, the leaders expressed concern that potential threats to peace still exist in the South China Sea. security and stability; concern about actions contrary to international law, destabilizing, that complicate the situation and cause concern in the countries of the region.
ASEAN - United States Concerns Over Actions Against International Law in the South China Sea - Photo 1

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, in the position of President of ASEAN 2020, has a dense work agenda on the occasion of this Summit

The leaders emphasized the importance of dialogue, building trust, adhering to the rule of law, not militarizing, restricting, taking no action to complicate the situation and peacefully resolving disputes on the basis of the Department of International Law, including the Convention on the United Nations on the Law of the Sea of ​​1982, considers that this is the legal basis for all activities at sea.
Also at the conference, Mr. O’Brien emphasized that the United States is especially interested in scientific cooperation, education, and training to enhance human resources, improve ability to respond to medical challenges, and self-ability. powers of the countries.

The United States National Security Advisor reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to build and develop an ASEAN-United States strategic partnership for regional peace and prosperity based on mutual respect for independence and sovereignty. Win-win cooperation, as noted in the ASEAN Indo-Pacific Outlook Paper (AOIP).

Regarding subregional cooperation, the United States highly appreciated the decision to make the Mekong-United States partnership a strategic partner, saying that it is necessary to distribute benefits and resources in a balanced and responsible manner.

The United States is the largest FDI investor in ASEAN

Regarding other contents of cooperation, ASEAN leaders recognized the well-developed partnership between the two sides. ASEAN said it would facilitate the operations of more than 4,200 US investors and companies, including 350 leading US companies in the region. ASEAN encourages American companies to prioritize a number of areas such as infrastructure development, clean energy, high technology, digital economy …

ASEAN welcomes the United States to spend $ 3.5 billion to improve the public health capacity of ASEAN countries over the past 20 years; suggested that the US implement the ASEAN-US Future of Health Initiative.

The two sides agreed to closely coordinate to control and repel Covid-19, to soon overcome the negative effects of the epidemic, gradually restore and stabilize socio-economic life, maintain the production chain – supply area.
ASEAN wants the US to actively support the ASEAN Fund for Responding to Covid-19 and the Medical Supplies Reserve, which ASEAN announced it would establish in the framework of the 37th ASEAN Summit.

Sharing the views of countries at the conference, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc recognized that the United States was an important economic and development partner of ASEAN. In 2019, the two-way trade turnover reached $ 292 billion, making the US ASEAN’s second-largest trading partner and the largest investor in FDI, with a total capital of more than 330 billion dollars.

The Prime Minister greatly appreciated the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and ASEAN to help create a favorable framework for development cooperation efforts between the two parties.

The Prime Minister welcomed the $ 5 million grant for the establishment of the Institute for Young Leaders Initiative in Southeast Asia (YSEALI) at Fulbright University in Vietnam and hoped that the United States would soon open the regional office of the Center for Prevention and Control. Disease Control (CDC) in Hanoi.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc clearly stated Vietnam’s point of view in line with ASEAN’s principled stance on the South China Sea, which was affirmed at the 36th ASEAN Summit in June 2020, the Meeting of Ministers of Foreign Relations of ASEAN. September 53, 2020, as well as at the 37th ASEAN Summit, to turn the East Sea into a maritime zone of peace, stability and cooperation.

The Conference adopted the Joint Declaration on Human Resource Development. The President of the Conference issued a Presidential Statement on the results of the 8th ASEAN Summit – United States.




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