Malaysia affirms role of int’l law in East Sea issue settlement
Malaysian Minister of Foreign Affairs Hishammuddin Tun Hussein affirmed the country’s standpoint on the East Sea issue during the ASEAN-US Foreign Ministers’ Meeting held virtually on July 14.
Malaysian Minister of Foreign Affairs Hishammuddin Tun Hussein (Photo: Bernama)
Hanoi (VNA) - Malaysian🌠 Minister of Foreign Affairs Hishammuddin Tun Hussein affirmed the country’s standpoint on the East Sea issue during the ASEAN-US Foreign Ministers’ Meeting held virtually on July 14.
Malaysia upholds the country’s standpoint on solving the East Sea issue in a peaceful and constructive manner via dialogue and consultation, along with diplomatic channels in line with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS 1982), he said. Hishammuddin reiterated that Malaysia always puts regional stability as a top priority and will exert efforts to ensure peace, stability and freedom of navigation in the waters. Meanwhile, Dr Valentin Yakushik of the Department of International Relations and Social Sciences at the National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine, said that the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA)’s ruling issued five years ago, which refuted groundless claims of China in the East Sea, upholds the principle of resorting to peaceful measures in the settlement of international disputes. He emphasised that the PCA’s ruling is binding and based on the foundation of the UNCLOS 1982, which affirms that China’s “nine-dash line” is groundless and violates international law. International disputes need to be resolved in line with international law, especially the principle of using peaceful measures, the Ukrainian scholar added./.
The international community has long benefited from the rules-based maritime order, where international law, as reflected in the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), sets out the legal framework for all activities in the oceans and seas, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said.
Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Marise Payne has affirmed Australia’s position which is guided by principled support for international law and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
The international community has continuously called on parties concerned to follow international practices and rules, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) amid the complicated developments in the East Sea.
Dr Gerhard Will, a German expert on the East Sea, stressed that the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA)’s ruling on the Philippines’ lawsuit against China holds a solid legal basis and high value in the settlement of disputes in the East Sea.
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Malaysian Minister of Foreign Affairs Hishammuddin Tun Hussein (Photo: Bernama) 
