Vietnam and the South China Sea

Abstract

In the past ten years, the South China Sea (Biển Đong in Vietnamese) witnessed a new round of events and disputes that escalated tensions in bilateral relations between coastal states and caused concern among countries from within and without the region. Being a coastal state of the South China Sea and one of the claimants to the disputed features in the middle of the sea, Vietnam has made efforts to protect its legal rights and at the same time to create an environment conducive for peace, security, and development in and around the region. This chapter will take stock of the development of Vietnam’s claims and positions on the South China Sea issues over the last decade in response to the evolving situation in the South China Sea and in keeping with its obligations under international law. It is argued that Vietnam strongly believes that international law, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) signed in 1982, provides a good framework for states to define their rights and obligations, to cooperate in managing and settling their disputes, and to share the benefits from the uses and exploitation of the Sea.