WASHINGTON, Aug 4 - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, at a meeting with Southeast Asian nations this weekend, will press for a voluntary freeze on actions aggravating territorial disputes in the East Vietnam Sea, in spite of Beijing's rejection of the idea. Daniel Russel, the State Department's senior diplomat for the East Asia region, said ahead of Kerry's trip to the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) that the call was not new and was "not rocket science," but "common sense." A priority for Kerry would be to lower tensions in the East Vietnam Sea, where about $5 trillion of maritime trade passes annually, and China and four members of the 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have rival claims. "The regional economy is too important and too fragile for any country or any claimant to use the threat of military force or paramilitary force in retaliation, for intimidation, or as a coercive effort," Russel told a news briefing on Monday. He said there was room for rival claimants "to take some voluntary steps, and to identify actions they find troubling if not provocative on the part of other claimants, and to offer, if everyone will agree, to renounce those kinds of actions." Such steps could include abiding by an existing agreement not to seize unoccupied land features, or more significantly, a moratorium in land reclamation efforts, Russel said. Earlier on Monday, China, which will also participate in the ARF meeting, rejected the idea of a freeze, saying it could build what it wanted on its East Vietnam Sea islands. China claims 90 percent of the sea, which is believed to contain oil and gas deposits and has rich fishery resources. "What China does or doesn't do is up to the Chinese government," said Yi Xianliang, deputy head of the Chinese Foreign Ministry's Boundary and Ocean Affairs Departments. Yi said proposals for a freeze could be seen as an attempt to undermine drawn-out efforts by China and ASEAN to reach a code of conduct for the East Vietnam Sea. He said that if the United States had such a proposal, he had not seen it and that in any case the East Vietnam Sea was an issue for countries directly involved. "Trust in us Asian people to use Asian means and wisdom to resolve our own problems," he said. The Philippines has also said it will propose a freeze at the ARF meeting, as well as implementation of a code of conduct and arbitration to settle disputes. Manila called last month for a meeting of the four ASEAN claimants - itself, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam - ahead of ARF to hammer out a common stand in dealings with China. Efforts to launch such talks since December 2012 have so far failed. China has been increasingly assertive in pressing its territorial claims and Washington fears misunderstandings could inadvertently lead to open conflict. Russel said Washington wanted to see accelerated efforts by ASEAN and China to agree on a code of conduct. China's recent withdrawal of an oil rig from waters also contested by Vietnam had removed a serious irritant, he said, but it had left anger and tension and "serious questions on behalf of China's neighbors about China's long-term strategy."
More
Innovative millennial designs high-speed watercraft reminiscent of Su-35 fighter in southern Vietnam
The watercraft can travel at a speed of up to 70 kilometers per hour
Read more
Australia tightens student visa rules as migration hits record high
Australia will begin enforcing tougher visa rules for foreign students this week as official data showed migration hit another record high, which is likely to further exacerbate an already tight rental market
1 week agoWinning Mega Millions ticket for $1.13 bln jackpot sold in New Jersey
Mega Millions said a single ticket for a lottery jackpot worth a hefty $1.13 billion, the fifth-largest prize in the game's history, was sold in New Jersey, breaking a streak of 30 consecutive unclaimed drawings
1 day agoDivers to search Baltimore Harbor for six presumed dead in bridge collapse
The disaster also forced the indefinite closure of the Port of Baltimore, one of the busiest on the U.S. Eastern Seaboard
1 day agoBig hotel chains and unbranded-hotel owners find they need each other
Independent hotel operators and giant global chains are increasingly linking up in franchise agreements as high-interest rates have slammed the hospitality industry, slowing down new hotel construction
3 days agoSWIFT planning launch of new central bank digital currency platform in 12-24 months
Around 90% of the world's central banks are now exploring digital versions of their currencies
3 days agoHighlights
School in central Vietnam asks students who refuse to join field trip to scrape moss off fence
The fee for attending the trip was VND350,000 (US$14.1) per student
Photos
Artist paints murals on house to raise awareness of COVID-19 prevention in Hanoi
He drew the virus, vaccine, and earth on the exterior walls of a house
Latest news
Canadian Minister sees Vietnam as key partner
Minister Ng affirmed that the potential for the cooperation between Vietnam and Canada remains huge
Planned establishment of ‘single ladies market’ in southern Vietnam arouses controversy
Many social media users are puzzled over what exactly the market is and what kinds of goods it sells
School in central Vietnam asks students who refuse to join field trip to scrape moss off fence
The fee for attending the trip was VND350,000 (US$14.1) per student
Breakfast @ Tuoi Tre News – March 29
Good morning from Vietnam!
Japanese volunteers promote tourism across Vietnam
Currently, there are seven volunteers operating in tourist destinations across the country, namely Da Nang, Da Lat, and Can Tho
Vietnam’s Dong Nai lays foundation stone to restore Long Hoa Pagoda
After three years of renovation, the pagoda will have five storeys
Vietnam asks vessels with Vietnamese on board to avoid passing through Red Sea
Tensions in the Red Sea are escalating
2 Chinese men arrested for attempting to illegally send 21 Vietnamese to Laos
The cost of illegal exit was set at 280 Chinese yuan (US$38.7) per person
A glimpse of location set for future night quarter in Ho Chi Minh City
Binh Tay Market, a renowned architectural relic and tourist attraction in the city, will spotlight the night quarter
Renovation underway at abandoned downtown park in Vietnam’s Nghe An
Park-goers in recent years discovered that the play zone and some other facilities of the park became deserted and aging