The Philippines and Vietnam have urged countries to comply with maritime rules based on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos) in the South China Sea.
The appeal was made in Hanoi during a defense strategic dialogue between Department of National Defense Senior Undersecretary Irineo Espino and Vietnam’s Deputy Minister of National Defense Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien on November 22.
“The Philippines and Vietnam called on all countries to uphold the rules-based order on the basis of the Unclos to ensure freedom of navigation and overflight, peace, security and stability in the region,” the DND said in a statement Wednesday.
China asserts sovereignty over nearly the entire South China Sea with claims overlapping the exclusive economic zones (EEZ) of Philippines and Vietnam, causing tensions in the region.