Berlin (VNA)-  Dr. GerhardWill, a German expert on the East Sea, has said that China shouldquit its militarisation in the East Sea and show its willingness and cooperationcapacity in security and economy on the basis of equality and the observance ofinternational law.

The expert made thecomments in an interview with the Vietnam News Agency, amidst the complex developmentof the East Sea.

A former expert of Germany’s Science and Politics Foundation(SWP), he also stressed the significance of building a Code of Conduct in the EastSea (COC), saying negotiations on the document play an important role in settling the EastSea issues.

Oneof the conditions to completely address the disputes is trust between relevantsides, he said, adding this would make international law-based negotiations asuccess.

The scholar also highlighted the crucial role of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations(ASEAN) in the negotiations, and suggested ASEAN member countries remain unitedin this regard.

Oncethe countries reach consensus, they would engage in negotiations with China, hefurther explained.

Inaddition, ASEAN needs to build a sustainable security policy system, with theparticipation of not only countries like the US and China but also Japan,Australia and India.

The expert said the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA)’s ruling in the casefiled by the Philippines is an important international document that clearlypoints out the illegality of China’s so called “nine-dash line.”

Thesituation in the East Sea has developed complicatedly after China used a coastguard vessel to hit and sank a Vietnamese fishing boat that was operating asnormal in waters of Vietnam’s Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago.

Forthis issue, spokesperson of the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs Le ThiThu Hang said Vietnam hassufficient legal grounds and historical evidence to affirm its sovereignty overHoang Sa and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagoes in accordance with internationallaw. 

Suchan act by the China coast guard ship violates Vietnam’s sovereignty over Hoang Sa, causing damage, threatening the safety of life and thelegitimate interests of Vietnamese fishermen.

It also went against the common perception ofsenior leaders of the two countries on the humane treatment of fishermen andthe Vietnam-China agreement on the basic principles guiding the settlement ofmaritime issues, and in contrary to the spirit of the Declaration of Conduct ofthe Parties in the East Sea (DOC), which complicates the situation and isnot conducive to the bilateral relations as well as the maintenance of peace,stability and cooperation in the East Sea.

Earlier, the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs contacted the Chinese Embassy and handed a diplomatic note opposing the Chinese act andasking the Chinese side to clarify and strictly handle public employees and thecoast guard vessel involved in the incident, not to repeat such actions, andmake satisfactory compensation for losses caused to the Vietnamese fishermen./.