In order to provide suitable information and knowledge for students who participate in the Academic Festival “Ho Chi Minh City’s Youth and the South China Sea”, the Faculty of International Relations in collaboration with the Foundation for East Sea Studies (FESS), and under the sponsorship of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation (KAS) in Vietnam organized a Training Workshop with the theme “The South China Sea dispute from the perspective of International law”. The workship took place at 7h30 on 19.11.2020, Room 8:07, Ho Chi Minh city University of Economic –Finance. Ms. Pham Ngoc Minh Trang, Lecturer at the Faculty of International Relations, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, VNU Ho Chi Minh – is the guest speaker.
The workshop attracted the participation of many students from the Faculty of International Relations, Ho Chi Minh City University of Economics and Finance; the Faculty of International Relations, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University - HCM; the Department of International Studies, Ho Chi Minh City Pegagogical University; and the Department of International Relations, Hong Bang International University.
To start the workshop, Ms. Pham Ngoc Minh Trang analyzed the South China Sea legal dispute with three points: territorial disputes, disputes over the legal status of entities in the South China Sea, and China's aggressive acts. Ms. Pham Ngoc Minh Trang asserted that China has no historical and legal evidence to support its claim of the Nine-dashed Line as its maritime border line.
From the perspective of International Law, Ms. Pham Ngoc Minh Trang analyzed the lawsuit that Philippines filed against China in 2013.
Vietnam's positions regarding the South China Sea disputes are also mentioned. In March 2012, Vietnam submitted a letter to the United Nations to present its views and stances on regarding South China Sea disputes. Thereby, the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea is the only legal basis for resolving disputes at sea. Vietnam also implicitly neglects the use of historical water and historic rights.
The students' questions revolve around these issues: principles of claiming sovereignty over entities at sea, interstate measures in cooperation on maritime security, and How Vietnam would use its ASEAN 2020 presidency in addressing the South China Sea disputes.
The workshop "The South China Sea dispute from the perspective of International law” presented by Ms. Pham Ngoc Minh Trang belongs to the Training Workshop series for participants of the Academic Festival "Ho Chi Minh City’s Youth and the South China Sea" organized by Ho Chi Minh City University of Economics and Finance in collaboration with the Foundation for East Sea Studies (FESS) under the sponsorship of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation (KAS) in Vietnam.
The Final Round of the Academic Festival "Ho Chi Minh City’s Youth and the South China Sea" took place on November 26, 2020, at the Democracy Meeting Room, Ho Chi Minh City University of Economics and Finance.
Reporter: Minh Quang
Images: Đăng Huy + Team News & Report.