The tensions could lead to insecurity
and instability in the region they said
in a joint statement issued Thursday. The three nations without mentioning
Vietnam or china said the legal
framework set out by the united nations
convention on the law of the sea
granting several claimants sovereign
rights to the waters must be carried out.
We call on all coastal states of the
south china sea to take steps and
measures that reduce tensions and
contribute to maintaining and promoting
peace, security stability and safety in
the region including as regards the
rights of coastal states in their waters, the statement reads.
Vietnam's ministry of foreign affairs
did not immediately respond to a request
for comment. When asked about the statement during a
regular briefing on Friday china's
ministry of foreign affairs spokesman Zhang Shuang said the situation in the
south china sea was stable and blamed
non-regional countries of hyping up the
tensions.
"We urge the relevant countries to view
this issue objectively to stop making
such negative remarks and to create a
favorable atmosphere for the regional
countries," Zhang said.
Chinese and Vietnamese coast guard
vessels are engaged in a high-profile
standoff over a lucrative oil block
claimed by Vietnam near its coast. The u.s last week criticized china's
move to send a survey ship off Vietnam
as an escalation by Beijing in its
efforts to intimidate other claimants
out of developing resources in the south
china sea.
The state department accused china of
blocking southeast Asian nations from
accessing an estimated 2.5 trillion
dollars in exploited hydrocarbon
resources.
Australian prime minister Scott Morrison
last week urged Asian countries to stand
up for their sovereign rights during a
trip to Hanoi. China accused the u.s of trying to drive
a wedge between China and other
countries and create chaos in the region.
In recent months Beijing has stepped up
efforts to pursue administrative control
within its so-called nine-dash line
encompassing 80% of the south china sea. Its recent actions openly challenge a
Hague tribunal ruling that declared the
territory claim illegal three years ago.
The three European countries called on
claimants to respect that ruling urging
China and ASEAN countries to come to
terms with a code of conduct in the
south china sea.
Furthermore, France Germany and the
united kingdom welcomed the ongoing
negotiations between the ASEAN member
states and china in view of achieving a
rules-based cooperative and effective
code of conduct consistent with UNCLOS in the south china sea and encouraging
progress towards its early conclusion.
