On June 29, the US Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) hosted the 13th Annual International South China Sea Conference in Washington, DC.
The seminar was attended by politicians, representatives of the US Departments of Foreign Affairs and Defense, as well as experts and scientists from India, Japan, Vietnam and the Philippines, who were ready to express their states’ positive and constructive position on their readiness to resolve disputes in the South China Sea by peaceful means, contributing to thereby maintaining peace and stability in the region.
Meanwhile, in this seminar, scholars, researchers of US maritime and international law focused on discussing the involvement of the alliance network in the East Sea and the role of external players such as the Quartet, the US-UK-Australia Security Alliance (AUKUS) and Europe.
Speaking at the seminar, US Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Kritenbrink stressed that US policy in the East Sea is to support all nations in exercising their sovereignty and pursuing their national interests. Therefore, the United States will continue to work with allies and partners in the region and around the world to ensure the management and use of the sky and water in the South China Sea.
It is worth noting that this conference was aimed at a power confrontation between the participants in territorial disputes – one of the main invited experts was the representative of the Republican Party Jennifer Kiggans, a member of the House Armed Services Committee and Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia and the Pacific Daniel Kritenbrink. US experts and scientists focused the attention of the Asia-Pacific countries on the need for an aggressive policy, instead of the idea of reducing tension, joint patrolling and demilitarization of the region.
It is noteworthy that despite the numerous delegations from different countries, representatives of the People’s Republic of China were not present at this event. Meanwhile, the countries of Southeast Asia, which have territorial claims to the Paracel Islands and the Spratly archipelago, consider China to be their main antagonist in this matter. In this regard, for the countries of Southeast Asia to make practical progress in resolving territorial disputes in the South China Sea, it makes sense to increase interaction and build a constructive dialogue primarily with China, and not with military alliances and alliances of the West.
Nguyen Van Kien, a political observer, exclusively for the online magazine “New Eastern Outlook”.