Vietnam’s proposed South China Sea talks with Philippines raises hopes of resolution pathway
- Hanoi’s proposed talks with Manila on their maritime boundaries come amid Beijing’s ‘coercive’ actions in the South China Sea
Analysts say strong political will from Manila and Hanoi is required after Vietnamese state media on Friday reported that the country was ready to discuss territorial boundaries for an undersea continental shelf in the disputed waters.
Philippine officials have expressed their readiness to hold talks to resolve such issues based on the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos), the international treaty that provides legal guidelines to define coastal states’ territorial waters.
Under Unclos, a coastal state has the exclusive right to exploit resources in its continental shelf, a stretch of seabed that can extend up to 648km, including the right to authorise and regulate drilling activities.
Describing Vietnam’s stance as a positive sign, Minh Phuong Vu, a PhD candidate in international relations at Australian National University’s Coral Bell School of Asia-Pacific Affairs, said Hanoi was adopting a restrained approach to managing differences and tensions in the South China Sea.